


Ignorance is Bliss

by Accidental_Ducky



Series: Marvellous Mishaps [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gratuitous Magic Using, M/M, Protective Killian Jones, Protective Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Slight AU in places, Stubborn Daughters, Teenage Sarcasm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-02-17 07:03:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 99
Words: 241,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2300717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Accidental_Ducky/pseuds/Accidental_Ducky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumpelstiltskin took more than Milah's life and Killian's hand that day, he took their daughter as well. Aveena grew up believing that Rumpel was her true father with only minimal questions asked about it, but what happens when the stranger arrives in Storybrooke and everything begins to come to life?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Season One: Ignorance is Bliss

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing except Aveena/Morgan, Trista, Fidget, and Pup; everything else belongs to ABC/Disney. That being said, I hope you like this fic and I'm sorry if there are any mistakes. My character's name is pronounced Uh-Veen-uh.

[Revised chapter (1-31)](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9134392/1/Ignorance-is-Bliss) [Morgan](http://i2.listal.com/image/3375827/600full-isabelle-fuhrman.jpg) [Micah](http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/18000000/pics-vampire-academy-18008841-300-300.jpg) [Nicky](http://www.lahazat-harega.com/cast/13_b.jpg) [Season 1 Outfits](https://www.polyvore.com/ignorance_is_bliss_season/collection?id=5636659) [Fidget](http://www.catsynth.com/bucket/catsynth_images/Luna_BC_Small.jpg)

Rumpelstiltskin follows Milah and Killian aboard the  _Jolly Roger_ , sneering at the pirates in distaste. He wouldn't show the hurt that was building up inside him at the fact that Milah had chosen rum-soaked pirates over himself and their son. "Well, well, seems like you finally found the family you could never have with me," he states as he walks past her and over to the railing, glancing around curiously and highly enjoying the scared looks he caught the crew sending his way.  _Being the Dark One certainly has its advantages_. Milah walked over to him after a moment, holding the magic bean between her thumb and forefinger. He wondered what she would do if she found out what had happened to their son; would she go with him and try to find Baelfire or would she simply shrug it off and stay with the pirate? Rumple attempts to grab the bean only to have Milah toss it to her lover. Tall and handsome with eyes bluer than even the bluest of ocean waters, it's little wonder why Milah was attracted to the Captain. She had often told Rumple that she wanted he child to have blue eyes like her father's and she may have just that if she stays aboard this ship.

"You asked to see it, now you have," the pirate says boldly, clutching the wound Rumple had made in his side in their duel. Rumple looks down at the deck for a second before meeting Milah's intense gaze again.

"Do we have a deal," she asks, voice no longer drawing him in as it had years ago. "Can we go our separate ways?" Her hands rested on her hips, her frustration clear. After all, why would she want to make a deal with a monster like himself unless it would result in the safety of her so-called true love?

"Do you mean, can I forgive you," Rumple inquires, beginning to walk around the woman, making her turn on her heel in order to keep him in her sight. "Can I  _move on_? Perhaps, perhaps. I can see you are  _twuly_  in love." There wasn't a chance he would leave this ship without killing one of the pair, his contract be damned. Rumple loved enacting his revenge, he loved it more than almost anything in this world save his son.

"Thank you." Milah moved to walk to Killian when Rumple takes a step forward.

"Just one question." The hurt was beginning to bubble to the surface, put Rumple already had a mask of anger in place to hide the hurt from the vagrants. Milah raised an eyebrows at him, her silent way of telling him to continue without opening his mouth. It seemed to irritate Killian to no end that Rumple could so easily read Milah's little signals. "How could you leave Bae?" His magic responds to him as the anger becomes real, the ropes dangling from the masts above beginning to wriggle like snakes. "Do you know what it's like, walking home that night...?" He ignores Milah's fearful pleas for him to stop and calm down. "Having to tell  _our son_  that his mother was dead?" Guilt flickers in her dull blue eyes for a brief moment.

"I was wrong to lie to you that night," she admits quickly, though he could tell she didn't actually mean it. "I was the coward—"

"You left him! You abandoned him!" Whatever reply she had was cut off by an infant's crying. Rumple's bronze-colored eyes dart to where the wailing was coming from and spots a young cabin boy holding a child that couldn't be any older than six months old. He noticed the barely contained expression of worry on Milah's face and that Killian's hand drops to where his sword used to be the minute the child was heard. So, he was right it would seem, the pirate and Milah had a child together. In a moment of pure rage, Rumple plunges a hand into Milah's chest, grabbing her heart and using his magic to restrain Killian until he had the still-beating organ in his hand. The sadistic grin on his face vanishes when he heard Milah telling Killian that she loved him. Without hesitation and with quite a bit of jealously, he squeezes the heart until it's just dust in the wind. With a flick of his wrist, the child appeared in his arms; no longer crying, just staring up at him with eyes the color of her father's. What little hair she had was nearly black and looked fairly thick for such a small child.

"Let go of my daughter," Killian growls, standing up with both of his hands clenched into fists. Rumple's eyes focused on the fist he believes to contain the magic bean before returning them to the baby and keeping them there. "You've done enough damage here, you demon." Rumple finally tears his eyes away from the child again and looks back to the pirate, an evil grin settled on his lips.

"I'll have what I came for now."

"You'll have to kill me first." Rumple levitates the girl while he pulls out the sword he'd stolen from Killian.

"Ah, ah, I'm afraid that's not in the cards for you, sonny boy." Killian never realized what had happened until his left hand was laying on the deck and blood was pulsing from the stump. He dropped to his knees with an anguished cry, gripping his wrist tightly. Rumple picks up the severed hand, still curled up into a fist around the bean, and rests the tip of the stolen blade against Killian's shoulder. "I want you alive because I want you to suffer like I did."  _Like I still am_. Killian picks up a silver hook that had been laying forgotten on the deck nearby, driving it into Rumple's chest and gaining a look of surprise when the crocodile lets out a delighted giggle. "Killing me is gonna take a lot more than that, Dearie." He throws the hook back to the ground with a smile still twisting his thin lips.

"Even demons can be killed. I  _will_  find a way!"

"Good luck living long enough." Rumple takes the child into his arms again, laughing when Killian lunges at him—disappearing and reappearing behind the distraught pirate. "And I'll even give you an incentive." He chuckles darkly, red smoke beginning to swirl around his feet and make its way up his body. "Your little daughter." With those last words, the Imp disappears for good this time, hearing the single word the pirate shouted before he reappeared in his castle. The child's name was Aveena.

**Storybrooke, Maine**

I sigh, fidgeting in my seat as I wait for the school bell to ring and dismiss me for the day. Chemistry isn't a good subject to have as a last hour class, no one could focus on the work as much as they should have and all I can think about is how much I just wanted to sleep. Not that the periodic table is a hard subject to grasp—I have it down and I'm terrible at science. Glancing at my phone to see the time, I fold my assignment in half and use it to mark my place in the textbook.  _I'll finish the chapter review tomorrow in study hall_ , I mentally vow with a nod.  _Just so I can spend more time with Papa in the shop_. A few seconds later, the bell's shrill ring fills the air, followed by relieved sighs from the students and I dart out of the classroom to my locker, putting up the chem book and shouldering my backpack.

As I walk down the street towards the shop my papa owns, I put my earbuds in and push play on my iPod, humming along to a Fall Out Boy song. After a long day spent "learning" things I'll never use in real life—Algebra II being the prime example here—it'll be nice to dig through the piles of dusty old junk that Papa's collected over the years. Most people avoided him because he intimidated them—owning half the town and being a ruthless business man tends to put people off. As a result, I was avoided by most people for being Morgan Gold and the idiots think they'd be evicted for just talking to me. Which is completely ridiculous considering Papa wants me to make friends with a few people my age since my only friends so far consists of the Mayor's son, a boyfriend that he doesn't know about, and the two guys that run the best theater in town.

The little bell above the shop door jingles cheerily as I walk inside with a bright smile plastered on my face. Papa comes out from the backroom at the sound, holding a silver chalice that looks older than everything else in Papa's shop—Papa included. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that was the Holy Grail," I state, laying my bag down on the counter and digging through it to find a pencil and notebook.

"How do you know that it's not," he counters with a smirk of his own as he sets the chalice down on a small table near the front window of the shop. I tilt my head to the side, pursing my lips as I pretend to think over his words.

"Hmm, well, I guess it  _might_  be possible considering the fact that you're old enough to have played baseball with the dinosaurs." He takes on an expression of mock hurt that has me laughing and pulling him into a loving hug.

"I have to go write a poem for English class, so I'll see you in a few decades." English is a fairly easy subject for me, but I can't write a poem to save my life. Papa nods as I walk past the curtain and to his desk in the backroom—the surface cluttered with several antiques he hasn't had the chance to sort through yet.

**Gold**

Gold watches the seventeen year old walk into the backroom with a soft smile on his face, one only a few people could make appear when he's so filled with darkness. She has grown so much and he felt proud of her even though she'd developed a few of her biological father's habits—stealing being one of her favorite past times. Thankfully it's only been candy so far and she's good enough not to get caught, but it still made Gold's blood boil. Though she'd never met the man, she was sometimes too much like Killian Jones for comfort.

It certainly didn't help that she was the spitting image of the man, not looking much like Milah in the slightest. At least she's developed some of Gold's qualities as well so that the people of Storybrooke won't think she isn't actually his—true though it may be. It was so difficult to raise her, but he's managed it and he thinks he's raised a young woman to be proud of.

"Such a good girl," he mutters to himself as he moves the Holy Grail a couple of inches so that it would catch Regina's eye when she walked past.

It's always so fun to tease her.


	2. Chapter 2

**~::The Night Grows Darker::~**

**Dark Castle**

Aveena stares longingly out her bedroom window, holding her small kitten in her arms as the dark cloud of magic looms ever nearer. Her papa had told her what was going to happen before he allowed himself to be imprisoned, but that doesn't mean she had to like it. She looks down at the black cat, petting it softly as its green eyes begin to close. "Sometimes I think he cares more about other people's business than me," she confides, moving from the window seat to lie down on her bed. The kitten lets out a quiet meow, snuggling closer to her for warmth. "When he gets obsessed like this, it's like I become part of the background." The kitten, Fidget, licks Aveena's cheek before shutting his eyes in sleep.  _At least he can sleep, I'll probably lie awake for hours._

Careful not to wake the feline, she gets out of bed and walks downstairs to her papa's spinning room—barefooted and quiet so as not to rouse Trista. Her papa basically lived in this room as it's where he stored several of his favorite objects, including what she went there to see—the Holy Grail. Rumple had gotten it from some knight or another that he'd made a deal with. It was a beautiful, made of silver with a few jewels around the rim that sparkle in the moonlight that spills in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Aveena looks at her reflection in the silver, hoping to see even the faintest resemblance to the man she loves most in this world. Like usual, she puts the chalice down in disappointment. She looks nothing like her papa and acted even less like him. Sighing, she walks over to the sword made for a great leader and picks it up, brandishing it like Rumpelstiltskin had taught her. Excalibur was amazing, it was like the sword already knew what Aveena wanted to do.

Knowing the curse was even closer, she begins to practices and hopes that she won't forget how to wield the blade she holds. Rumple had taught her about the Dark Curse; he'd told her not to panic, that he would find her in the land without magic that all of them would be moved to. Despite her fears, Aveena was determined to make her papa proud and keep her mind off the Curse so that she doesn't give into her nerves. The night grows darker, the Curse hits, and Excalibur drops to the floor with a  _clang_ as Aveena falls into unconsciousness. 

**Storybrooke**

Groaning, I roll onto my side and hit the snooze button, effectively silencing the shrill beeping of my alarm clock. Six-thirty is too early for a teenager to be expected to get up and learn shit. "Morgan," Papa calls from downstairs," get ready and I'll take you to Granny's for breakfast." He must be collecting rent today since he usually just drops me off at the bus stop and heads directly to work from there.  _Whatever, I'm not looking to see if that gift-horse has teeth._ I take a quick shower before pulling on my school's uniform, sending my Daryl Dixon tee a wistful look. The dark blues and blacks of the uniform are boring compared to the colorful clothes I often order from Hot Topic. 

"Almost ready," I tell him as I sit on the last step and slip on my black flats. Papa flashes me a smile, showing off his two gold teeth, and holds out his free hand to help me up. "How's your leg today?" He shrugs as we walk out onto the porch, leaning on his cane a little more than usual. 

"It's not too bad." I stop on the front steps with narrowed eyes and my arms crossed over my chest. Papa sighs in exasperation as he turns to face me once more, used to my stubborn attitude at this point. "I swear to you, dear, it hurts no worse than it usually does, but standing around isn't going to improve it no matter how much you glare." I crack a smile at that, continuing on down the steps and to the driveway where his car was idling, climbing into the front seat and relishing the warm air inside. 

"Are we  _completely_  sure that my glaring doesn't work?" Papa gives a soft laugh, never taking his eyes off the road. "Papa?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't I have an accent like you do?"  _Why don't I look anything like you_ _?_  I'm not much like my papa no matter how hard I try and I feel like I'm a disappointment in his eyes. Papa's brow creases in confusion and he shakes his head a little, sparing me a quick glance before returning his attention back to the road. 

"Well, you didn't grow up in Scotland like I did, you grew up here in Maine." I let the subject drop for now, content to spend the rest of the drive in silence. "I wonder whose car that is." I look out my window and spot a beat-up yellow VW Bug in the parking space next to ours. 

"Breakfast time, Papa," I quietly remind him, opening my door and getting out, grabbing my library book before I shut the door and follow Papa inside the restaurant. I order my usual—scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and mountain dew—but I have to scarf it down quickly because the Tech bus would be leaving the bus stop in five minutes and my papa doesn't like me skipping.  _Just another day that I'll spend surrounded by the morons that are my classmates_.

* * *

"So, are we still going to see a movie after dinner or has something come up?" Papa often had business to deal with, so we rarely got to do fun stuff together away from the shop or home. 

"Of course, Morgan. What movie is it again?"

"Jurassic World." He nods, gesturing for me to finish eating so we have time to get snacks before the movie starts. He doesn't look thrilled to go and see a dinosaur movie that I've already seen three times with Micah and Nicky, but he'd sit through it if it means getting to eat skittles and making me happy. As we walk up to the register to pay, I notice a pretty blonde woman is already there talking to the owner that everyone in Storybrooke knows as Granny.

"Swan, Emma Swan," she states so that Granny can write the name down in the reservation book.  _Did this lady get her introduction from watching too many Bond films or what?_  I bite my lip to stifle a laugh as I picture her jumping around and beating up criminals, looking down at my shoes until I hear Papa speak. 

"Hmm, Emma," Papa says with that knowing smile of his," what a lovely name." 

"Thanks." She looks a little creeped out, but who wouldn't after some strange old man tells them something like that? Granny hands Papa a roll of cash for rent, meaning tonight's dinner is on the house. 

"It's all there," the old woman assures him.

"Yes, of course it is, dear. Thank you." He turns to face Emma again with his smile still in play. "Enjoy your stay, Emma." I smile at the women shyly before following Papa to the car. There was something strange in the way Papa had looked at Emma, like he knew some big secret that no one else did."


	3. Chapter 3

**~::The Clock is Working::~**

**Dark Castle**

Rumple looks down at the small bundle in his arms, unsure what to do with the child now that he has it. He hasn't held a child this small in years, not since Bae. The longer he stares at the infant girl, the more he sees Killian Jones and the happier he feels at having broken the man. Now, what's better than him thinking his little girl is dead? That would be raising the child to think Rumple himself is her father! He giggles, beginning to feel giddy about it all. "Now, shall I keep your name or change it," he asks the little girl. She gives him a giggle of her own, reaching up to grab his nose with her tiny hands. "Aveena it is, then." She giggles again before letting out a small yawn. With a wave of his hand, a cradle appears and he lays the child inside, covering her with a blanket to keep her warm. Once that was done, Rumple moves to his spinning wheel, content to spend the rest of the night forgetting, but Aveena begins to cry after just five minutes.

What's wrong with her? Surely her cradle is comfortable, she can't be too cold or too warm.... As he gets to the last item on his mental list, his eyes widen in realization—she's hungry. Of course, how could he have forgotten about one of her basic needs like that? His small nose crinkles in disgust as he recalls another thing he hadn't thought of when he took the baby—the bodily function that comes after she eats. With a sigh, he picks Aveena up and his magic transports them to a hut on the edge of Rumple's lands. The owner is a midwife, a peasant woman that owes his a favor for assisting with a difficult birth where the baby would have died. The woman opens the door after hearing footsteps outside.

"D-Dark One," she stutters, brown eyes going wide in fear. While on any other day he might have reveled in the effect he has on people and taunted her, the fussing infant in his arms made him want to keep things short. 

"Trista," Rumple grins," I do believe you owe me a favor." She gives a wary nod, eyes darting between him and the child crying in his arms. "You will move in with me and serve as the child's nursemaid. Do you understand?" Trista gives another nod, looking down briefly at the old black cat that was sitting at her feet.

"C-can I bring my pet?" Rumple sneers down at the mangy animal, but he figured that it could, one day, give Aveena a kitten of her own, so he gives a curt nod and turns his back to the dark-skinned woman. 

"Do try to hurry, Dearie, don't need the baby catching her death." Trista quickly scoops up her pet and follows after Rumple, nearly tripping on the long tattered skirt of her dress. "A little faster." Rumple was growing impatient and the child's fussing was getting on his nerves. He holds the squirming bundle closer to his chest so as not to drop her. Once Trista is at his side and he finds a suitable place to use his magic, he uses the magic to take them back to his castle. Rumple could now spend the rest of the night spinning and forgetting without worrying about Aveena. 

**Storybrooke**

I smile at my English teacher while taking my test from her—Mrs. Carmichael is a nice woman with a cappuccino-colored skin tone and fit build; she often comes by Papa's shop to help me with the speeches I have to write for my art history class. Her kind, yet nervous, brown eyes move from student to student as we take our vocabulary test. I'm one of the first few finished, so I take out my library book and read while waiting on the rest of the class to finish. Not long after I start reading, a voice comes on the intercom, making me jump. "Miss Carmichael," the high school secretary says," Miss Gold has been checked out."

"Alright," Miss Carmichael replies in her usual quiet tone," I'll send her out." I gather the few things I brought to class, walking out into the hall to my locker and stuffing them in before grabbing my bag and walking out of the school. Papa meets me just outside with an excited grin that I haven't seen in forever. 

"What's going on," I ask with a smile of my own as we get in his car. "Did something happen?"

"I just thought you'd like to see something we both missed this morning," he explains vaguely. I frown, buckling my seat belt as he begins to drive. I know this road well, it'll take us to the town square and just a bit farther is the docks where I spend most of my free time. What I see when Papa parks the car in front of the library is a total shock for me—the clock is working again. 


	4. Chapter 4

**~::Teenage Girls::~**

**Dark Castle**

Aveena was shy, no matter how hard her papa tried to break her of it, it seemed to be her curse. At fifteen, she still had no one asking to court her. She never once blamed her papa for it, but she was beginning to realize he had a lot to do with it. Every now and again a young man would show up and her papa seemed to have no problems with either scaring them away or turning them into some sort of animal; one boy, a sweet one named Gus, he actually turned into a mouse! She didn't mind so much, she wasn't ready for the stress of creating a family.

Even though she wasn't ready, it was still rare that she brought the subject up for fear of Rumple's temper. He's already struck her once before, though he regretted it soon after and apologized profusely. That's why she waited until she was sure that everyone was asleep before making her way into the woods to the familiar clearing by the stream. She may not want a family yet, but that doesn't mean she's not ready for a suitor. That's where Vincent, the son of a well-like knight, comes in. If Rumple found out about these late night visits she would surely be punished and Vincent would be killed in the slowest, most agonizing way Rumple could think of. Vincent smiles as Aveena walks over to him, his hazel eyes shining brightly with what Aveena thinks is love.

"My lady," he greets with a charming smile, giving her cheek a chaste kiss.

**Storybrooke**

Have you ever had one of those days where the planets have aligned in the perfect way to ensure the rest of your day is completely shit? That's been today for me and I don't think I'll have a break any time soon. I'm beginning to lose my voice, forgot to do my Algebra II homework last night, and, as the cherry on top, a car nearly ran my ass over as I was walking for the bus stop! I'll probably eat some lunch and just skip the rest of the day even if I know that the school will call Papa and rat me out. A lecture from him is preferable to dealing with Mrs. Bryland glaring at me for forty-five minutes. Sighing, I adjust my grip on my bag before running across the street to the high school building. Eli is waiting for me there with a grin, wrapping his arms around my waist and placing a quick kiss on my lips. He's one of the few students not afraid of me because of who my papa is; he's also my secret boyfriend.

"My lady," he says by way of greeting, clearly in a good mood as he releases my waist long enough to lace our fingers together and begin walking towards the cafeteria. His smile fades a little as he looks down at me, noticing how pale I am right off the bat. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," I tell him as loud as I can manage, a small squeak coming out as I struggle. He laughs at the squeak, hazel eyes lighting up with amusement. Scowling, I smack his shoulder, though I knew it wouldn't hurt him in the slightest. Not only was Eli captain of the fencing club, he was also a football player, though nowhere near first string material—not as big as some of the others, but still bigger than I am. "I think I might go home after lunch if I don't feel any better." As it is, my throat feels like it does whenever I shout Aragorn's pre-battle speech at Mister Bryland when he's being really irritating.

"Maybe I'll go with you, after all, that squeaky voice of yours is pretty funny," he quips and I smack his shoulder again with a laugh. "Seriously though, I'll drive us to your house right now and we can eat some Sonic and watch TV until time for your dad to come home. That's when I haul ass outta there because he'd gladly decapitate me if he finds out we're dating." He gives me a smile, leading me towards the student parking lot, and gently pushing me into the front seat of the beat-up, white Mustang his parents gave him last year. "You'll want your usual, I presume?"

"You presume right."

**Gold**

When Gold came home for the lunch hour he didn't expect to see his daughter and some young man tangled together on the couch while a Queen song was playing in the background. Gold makes a point of dropping the takeout he'd brought home loudly onto a side table by the couch that he would have to burn later. The two teens jump, the boy tumbling into the floor as Morgan shoots upright, cheeks flushed and going darker once she realizes just who it was that caught her. The boy stands up; growing pale when he catches the glare Gold's giving him.

"Uh, um, I'll see you later, Mor- Miss Gold," the boy stutters, grabbing his tee shirt and running out of the house quicker than Gold has seen any teen move in quite a while. Morgan brings her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around them with a glare sent in Gold's direction, but he could see the remains of fear there as well.

"Way to go," she growls, taking her dinner and marching up the stairs in a huff.  _I'll never understand teenagers, G_ old thinks to himself as he watched Morgan storm off, _let alone teenage **girls**_.


	5. Chapter 5

**~::Anger and Hope::~**

**Dark Castle**

Aveena slowly walks through the market, looking around for her papa or even Trista, but found neither of them. Rumple had instructed her to stay near him as they navigated through the thick crowds, him with the cowl of his cloak hiding his face from view so that he is not recognized. He didn't want very many people to know that he had a child because he knew the seven-year-old could be used against him. Somehow, she had been separated from the two adults.

Few people looked at the struggling child, but she managed to catch the eye of one; one who recognized her almost instantly. The man stalks towards her hurriedly, not wanting to lose sight of her when he was so close to having his baby back. Killian put a hand on the child's small shoulder, gently turning her to face him with a warm smile on his face. He squats down so that they are almost eye to eye. "Are you lost, sweetheart," he asks, seeing a spark of curiosity in her blue eyes—eyes that were an exact copy of his own.

"Yeah, I can't find my papa." Aveena is close to tears now, meeting the stranger's gaze every now and then. Her papa had told her not to talk to strangers unless it was absolutely necessary or he told her to himself, but she felt something about this stranger that she hadn't with her papa and it was strange. Killian just felt equal parts of anger and hope course through him, anger at the fact that she called the Crocodile 'Papa' and hope at the fact she talked so freely with him. This was, without a doubt, his little girl.

"What's your name?"

"Emilia," she answers without hesitation. Her papa also told her never to reveal her true name. "What's yours?" Killian opens his mouth, ready to tell her exactly who he was, but he never got the chance.

"Emilia," a worried voice shouts, one she recognized and ran off in the direction it came from. Killian stood up and spotted his daughter run to a cloaked figure and a woman. The woman lays a hand on Aveena's head, asking her something. Aveena gives a short nod and the Crocodile picked Vee up, making the child laugh. Killian's eyes narrow into angry slits and his remaining hand clenches into a fist—unfortunately, before he could charge forward and take his revenge and daughter, the trio disappear into thin air and he was back to square one.

 **Storybrooke** — **Gold**

Gold chases after Morgan, wanting to know exactly why she and that boy were tangled together on the couch and why the school had called and informed him that his daughter had decided to skip after her tech classes were finished. "Morgan," he shouts upon finding the teen's bedroom door shut and locked," open this door!"

"No!" He rolls his eyes at the teen's childish response, remembering a time he had to remove the door to make it where she couldn't lock him out in fits of rage; she was only seven back then and here she is doing it again at seventeen. "Just leave me alone and let me eat." He notices she's not shouting like he expected and that her voice tended to squeak every now and again.

"Morgan Elizabeth Gold," he growls," open the door or I'll open it myself." He gets no response, hearing the TV in her room coming on and the familiar sound of Supernatural playing in the background. One of his hands reach up to feel around the top of the doorjamb, grabbing the key to her room and inserting it in the lock, walking inside much to his daughter's annoyance. "Now, tell me what you thought you were doing with that boy down there and why you skipped all of your afternoon classes." He was having a hard time to keep from yelling at her because yelling only made her angrier and more defensive.

"Laryngitis tends to make people want to skip," she croaks with a glare in his direction before facing the flat screen again. "As for the other question I think it was kind of obvious, don't you?" He takes a deep breath, trying to calm down before he throttled the teen, having seen the fear in her eyes when the boy was kissing her jaw.

"I know when you're lying, Morgan." She doesn't look at him or give him any sort of response. "Did...Did that boy force himself on you?" Her eyes narrow slightly and her lips form a frown. He sits beside her, leaning his cane against her bedside table, smiling slightly when he notices her cat curled up in bed beside her. He hated to admit it, but the creature was beginning to grow on him. "Were you only doing that because he told you to?"

"Of course not," she answers a little too quickly," I've been dating Eli for a while now." She still doesn't look at him, gaze switching from a grinning Dean Winchester to Fidget, the black cat of hers. It meows, moving to curl up in her lap; intelligent green eyes looking at Gold as if to say  _Drop it, old man._ "Can I just be left alone now?"

Gold sighs, squeezing one of Morgan's shaking hands, and getting to his feet with the help of his cane. Stopping at the door, he turns to face her. "Tell me when you're ready, sweetheart, and I'll make sure Eli never bothers you or even thinks your name again." She just keeps looking at her pet as tears began a slow trek down her cheeks. He felt a sharp pang in his heart that he could nothing right now to help his little girl, wishing desperately that she had stayed an innocent four-year-old forever so that her only worry was missing the Saturday morning cartoons she was so fond of.

**Morgan**

I wipe away my tears once Papa leaves and shuts the door behind him, only to have more tears take their place. I hadn't cried about my situation for a year, but papa had to go and stir things up again. I'll have to apologize to Eli later and I fear what he might do as punishment. I shudder, placing Fidget on the bed beside me and walking into my bathroom, deciding a long, hot shower would do nicely. The scalding water might wash away the feeling of Eli's hands on my body for now, but it wouldn't take away the nightmares. He was part of a prominent family in Storybrooke and I know he won't stay in jail long no matter what. He doesn't love me no matter how many times he whispers it in my ear when we're alone.

I am trapped in his lies.


	6. Chapter 6

**~::Predatory::~**

**Dark Castle**

Aveena follows Vincent through the quiet streets of the village to his home, the harsh winds making her shudder. It was a cold night, nearly winter, and Vincent had decided that it was time Aveena met his father—Ser Michael. The man that opens the door is a familiar one, She's seen him patrolling the village and fighting alongside the other knights. "This is the girl," he asks, voice cold and seductive, sending shivers down her spine. Vincent nods with a smile, urging her further into the home with a hand at the small of her back. Slowly, the fair looks of Michael fade to darker ones; his golden hair and bronze skin changing to black hair and such pale skin that it was nearly ashen. "You're sure she is the Dark One's daughter?"

"Yes, father," Vincent nods, looking unfazed by the sudden transformation. Standing before Aveena was none other than Mordred of Orkney, traitor and illegitimate son of King Arthur. Vincent keeps a firm hold on both of Aveena's arms as she attempts to back away from the dangerous man, tsking even as she continues to struggle. All knew of Mordred, he was a cold man that wouldn't hesitate to slit a child's throat if it meant he would get what he wanted. "Easy now, little miss; the more you cooperate, the easier this will happen." Mordred chuckles at that, reaching out a gloved had to twirl a lock of Aveena's hair around his finger.

"That's right, Aveena; no one needs to be hurt too badly here." She flinches away from him as he inches closer, pulling her out of his son's arms and into his. "Just a few questions, and if you answer them to my liking, you'll get a prize." His lips brushed her ear as he spoke, one of his hands traveling to her backside and squeezing firmly. "Right this way, my lady." Mordred gestures towards a doorway, drawing his sword as motivation for Aveena to move. She does so reluctantly, wondering if she could run faster than the two men and deciding that it wouldn't be hard for Vincent to catch her.

Aveena sits on the settee in main part of the home, the roaring fire burning in the fireplace making her brake out in a light sweat. "Please," she begs," Please, just let me go and I'll give you whatever you want." Mordred chuckles, sitting next to Aveena and draping an arm casually across her shoulders, pulling her close to him despite the fact that Vincent was standing merely feet away. Vincent gives a predatory grin as she's set in his father's lap. "My Lord, I can give you gold if that is what you wish." Her voice is shaky and breaks in places, only making the men's smile widen. The panic truly set in when she realized they had their home warded, she couldn't use her magic to take her away from there.

"Oh, we don't want gold."

"Then what?"

"You, as a spy."

**Storybrooke**

I stare at the newspaper, my head resting on my arms. Apparently a man that's been comatose for the past few years woke up last night and decided to go for a midnight stroll over to the toll bridge. What a strange headline, but I guess it's better than the usual town gossip like who's marrying who for what reasons. Blah, blah, blah—whatever. "Miss Gold." I jump at the cold voice, looking up and finding Eli's father, Martin Paracida, looking down at me. "Anything interesting this morning?"

"No, Mister Paracida," I answer as loudly as I can, wincing slightly and taking a sip of my water. "Just the usual, I guess." He nods, sitting down on the stool beside mine and taking the paper from my hands. I keep my eyes on my untouched plate of eggs, hands fidgeting in my lap when I sit up.

"My son is waiting for you outside….I hear you've done something very costly recently and he'd like to talk to you about it." He doesn't bother looking up from the paper, knowing I'd go outside to the Mustang like I was told, readying myself for what was about to happen.

* * *

I wince as I sit up, right eye swollen completely shut and making it hard to see properly. Eli had driven us to one of his family's warehouses so he could beat me without worrying someone would overhear my shouts. "You're worthless," he snarls, punching me once more in my stomach and driving the air from my lungs. "I can't think of a reason to keep you around anymore save one." He spits on the ground in front of me before turning on his heel and leaving, his Mustang peeling away with a squealing sound that meant skid marks would be left behind.

Slowly, I struggle to my feet, leaning against the wall for a few minutes until I have my breath back before starting the long trek back home. Papa wouldn't be home for a few hours since he was doing inventory and I would have more than enough time to hide what bruises I could with make-up and the others I would blame on some bullies that had wandered over from the other side of town. It should work; he's believed a worse lie than that one before.

With a groan, I collapse on the couch and turn on the TV until I find something worth watching and allow my good eye to close as I slowly fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paracida means traitor in Latin, so I thought it'd be fun to make that Mordred's Storybrooke surname.


	7. Chapter 7

**~::Pickles::~**

**Dark Castle**

Aveena was curious and that was never a good thing for her to be; she wanted to know who the stranger she keeps seeing around the small town was and why he was watching her so intently with blue eyes that she saw every time she looked in the mirror. Rumple of course, was doing all in his power to keep her from finding out the truth—he couldn't have another child leave him, especially not for a pirate! "Papa," she asks softly, looking at him using the mirror in front of her.

"What is it, dear," he asks, not glancing up from brushing out her long hair. The sixteen year old—still a little girl in his eyes—shrugs a shoulder, fingers fiddling with the skirt of her gown.

"Why don't I look like you?" Rumple pauses what he's doing for a moment, eyes locking with hers in the mirror—hers wide and questioning while his showed just how off guard she'd caught him. "I've seen some old drawings of how you looked before you became the Dark One and I still didn't look like you, but I looked a tiny bit like the woman you were with."

"Yes, she was your mother." Rumple had a hard time choking out the word  _mother_ seeing as Milah was never a fit mother for anyone. "She ran away a few months after you were born; a pirate had charmed her aboard his ship and then murdered her." So it was a tiny lie, but he needed to know that his precious little girl wouldn't make the same mistake as Milah. "Let's not talk about the past any longer, dear. It is rarely pleasant for anyone." Aveena nods her head, obviously not completely understanding why her papa just wanted the subject buried.

"Can we go outside later?" He chuckles at the innocent question, setting the silver-backed brush on the vanity and picking Aveena up, swinging her around playfully. She giggles, wrapping her arms around his neck and head thrown back. Despite her not being little anymore, Rumple possessed a strength that no other man had, and had little trouble carrying his daughter.

"Why not now?" With a grin, he carries the child outside to the sprawling lands where she was free to play without the worry of being killed. He keeps a close eye on her as she begins to climb a tree, knowing that she was clumsy at times just as Milah was, and thinking it was soon time to pay Cinderella a visit. "Be careful, little bird," he calls out distractedly as his thoughts turn to the deal he had struck with the Princess. She would soon have what he wanted and if she didn't give it up he'd take it anyway and kill her. He chuckles darkly at that particular thought. Cinderella didn't appear to be a very strong woman, nor very bright since she declined to read the contract fully to see what the price would be. A sudden scream makes him jump back to the present situation, automatically looking around for his daughter. Aveena lay at the base of the tree she'd been climbing earlier, unmoving and scaring the hell out of him. "Aveena!"

He sprints as fast as he could, magic never crossing his mind until he turns her on her back and pulls her onto his lap. She was breathing, but it was faint and quick, like she couldn't get enough air in her lungs. Trista runs out of the castle at his scream, lifting her skirts and sprinting as he had. Aveena's eyes remain closed but she lets out a small whimper and shifts in his arms slightly. Her right arm was broken—quite obvious due to the dent he saw there—and at least two of her ribs were fractured.

"It'll be alright, sweet girl," Trista murmurs, both of the adults shifting until Trista is holding Aveena in her lap and Rumple is leaning over her with his hand poised over her arm.

Purple smoke wraps around the broken limb, dissipating a few seconds later with the bone back in place and the dent gone; next it moves to her torso, staying there far longer until all that remained on Aveena's body were a few bruises and scrapes that could heal naturally on their own. Gingerly, Rumple picks Aveena up and carries her inside to her bed, sitting at her side until time for him to leave, pulling on elaborate clothing and heading off for the ball and to rile up a princess.

"I'll be back soon, little bird," he whispers to her, pressing a kiss against her temple. "I love you." Trista watches him leave in a puff of smoke, wondering how he thought a deal was more important than his recently injured child.

"I am here, sweet girl," she whispers, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking Aveena's hand in both of hers. "I'll always be here for you even when your papa is not." The child doesn't stir, but she hears the soft voice even though she cannot yet respond due to the magic Rumple had used to make sure she gets enough rest. She'll remember what that voice said years from then even if she can't remember just where exactly she'd heard it before. Trista stays with Aveena until Rumple returns a few hours later and relieves her.

**Storybrooke**

I shift uncomfortably on the hard kitchen chair, my right arm throbbing and itching under my cast. "Believe it or not, I don't like these Saturday council meetings, but sometimes they're unavoidable," the Mayor tells Henry, applying a new coat of lipstick. She turns and walks over to the table Henry and I were sitting at. "Now, you both know the rules?"

"Yes on homework, no on TV, and stay inside," Henry answers automatically, setting down his comic. Her gaze turns to me at the same time his mother does.

"Make sure Squirt does all those things and spray him with a water bottle if he doesn't," I joke with a smile. Regina nods in approval, putting one finger under Henry's chin to make him look at her.

"Under no circumstance do you leave this house," she tells him sternly. I quietly sneak off to the living room the moment Squirt mentions the new girl in town, his biological mother. At least the couch in this room doesn't make me want to cry. "I'll be back at five, if you need help you know who to call," she tells me over her shoulder as she walks out the door.

"Yes, ma'am." I give her a mock salute before returning my gaze to the chemistry book I was pretending to read. The moment I hear her car drive off, I grab the remote and turn the TV to Game of Thrones; not long afterwards, Henry runs outside with a backpack on his shoulders. "Be back before your mom gets home or we'll both be turned into toads!" I don't get a response back and focus on a rerun from the first season, wondering just how Jaime could even stand to be around his twin sister, let alone have babies with her. With a shrug, I watch as the drama unfolds in the family homestead, laughing because I knew exactly what was going to happen at what time.

" _Let me give you some advice, bastard: never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you_." I smile at Tyrion; that quote being one of my favorites from this season. Soon my pain pill begins to take effect and the world goes weird and out of focus so when my phone began to ring I barely registered it until it was nearly too late.

"Mm, hedo," I ask in a drug induced wooziness. The voice on the other end sounds low and filled with static; they must be in the apartment side of town. "Helooo." I draw out the O in a sing-song voice, giggling afterwards.

"Morgan?" I let out a goofy laugh at my papa's voice, stretching out on the couch like a lazy house cat. "Morgan, where are you?"

"Mayor's house," I answer, staring up at the ceiling and watching the imaginary shapes as they float around. "You should come see this, Regina has a moving ceiling and it's trippy as hell." There's a startled silence on the other end, no doubt because of my swearing. Normally I don't swear around Papa unless I'm mad or high. "Ha ha, this stuff is great." My words are slurred and running together even as the world begins to spin and grow darker. "I'm soooo sleepy….night, night." My phone drops to the floor and I allow myself to be swept away into blissful unconsciousness.

**Gold**

Gold groans in frustration, hanging up his phone and tossing it in the passenger's seat. Of course Morgan was at Regina's home, being paid to take care of young Henry while his mother was busy in the Sheriff's bedroom. So far the only good thing that's happened today is the fact Gold can use Emma for something later on—with the hope she'll break the curse soon so he can have his little bird completely back. "Come on, come on," he grumbles, honking at the car in front of him.

Finally the light turns green again and he speed through town without fear of a ticket, having paid off Graham years ago. Upon reaching his destination, he cuts the ignition and runs inside to the living room of the Mayor's home where Morgan was sprawled out on the couch, snoring softly. "Mm, funny pickle," she mumbles, turning onto her side and nearly falling off of the couch. "You shouldn't be talking. Gold gently picks her up and carries her outside to the backseat of his car, setting her cell on the floorboard along with her backpack and chemistry notebook. She looked so peaceful while she slept; nothing to worry about except those pesky talking pickles.

"Unlike in those old days." When she was Aveena she had to constantly worry and watch people—hide her entire identity so that no one knew she was the Dark One's daughter. Here she's just Morgan Gold, average high school junior with above average scores in reading on her End of Instruction tests that she's taken every year since first grade. English was normal, math was barely passing as was science, but reading was always a higher range than most in her class. The only worry she has here is the cost of college—no, not even that. It would be easy for Gold to pay for her tuition. "I'll take care of you as long as I can, little bird."

"Shut up, pickles," she murmurs again, shifting slightly before falling silent. Gold chuckles at his daughter; leave it to her to dream about pickles and be happy about it.

**Dark Castle**

"I'm leaving tonight, little bird," Rumple tells Aveena, pushing some of her hair out of her face. "Listen closely, a year from now, when you are seventeen, a great curse will be unleashed on this world and rip us all away to a new world—one without magic."

"Bae," Aveena gasps," we could find him!"

"Yes, we'll find your big brother, but not until the curse is broken. Snow White and Prince Charming's child will be the savior. Do not be afraid when it happens, it won't hurt. In fact, it will make you sleep. Until the curse happens, I will be powerless in a cage deep underground; Trista and Fidget will protect you." She nods, giving her papa a hug, the last one he'll ever receive from her while she's still Aveena for a very long time. "Goodbye, little bird."

"Goodbye, papa."

**Storybrooke**

"Miss Swann, the baby is a healthy six pound girl and the mother is doing fine," a doctor tells the new girl that Papa's interested in. She smiles at Emma and walks back into the back of the hospital, shoes squeaking slightly as she went.

"What lovely news," Papa states, making Emma jump and turn around," excellent work, Miss Swann. Thank you for bringing me my merchandise." I wince, disapproving Ashley's and my papa's deal—the baby for cash and Papa would find the kid a good home. I thought it was wrong, but she's only eighteen and most teen moms end up killing their kids or hurting them too badly to be able to keep. He gives her a smirk, leaving us to go get some coffee. As Emma chases after him, I plop down next to Henry, keeping my eyes closed against the harsh fluorescent hospital lights.

"Are you okay," Henry asks, placing a comforting hand on my arm.

"Been better, Squirt."

Later, after Papa makes a new deal with Emma, I collapse back on Regina's couch, turning off the TV and picking my chemistry book back up. Henry rushes up the stairs just as his mom comes through the front door, calling for him. "What did I tell you," she yells up the stairs, carrying one of his shoes with her after tossing me forty bucks. Well, that went better than expected.


	8. Chapter 8

**~::Tricks up my Sleeve::~**

**Dark Castle**

Aveena stares out her bedroom window with a sigh, longing to be outside and running—to be doing something other than sewing! She wasn't very good, barely managing to complete a tunic that would fit her papa, and it wasn't one she wanted him to wear either. Once a beautiful gold silk, now stained in places where she had pricked her finger on the needle and wasn't quick enough to avoid a drop or two of blood from landing on the material. Scowling, she throws her current project out the window, watching as it floats down on the gentle breeze until it reached the earth, the gold complimenting the green of the grass. She smiles at that, flouncing out of the room and down the hall, stopping in front of the door that was always closed. It would be her big brother's room once he was found. Baelfire, Papa said his name was; lost to fairy magic. Inside is a wardrobe filled with fine clothing that Papa hoped would fit his son, the clothing changed yearly as Bae would grow.

She felt bad for her papa, having never known Bae she didn't grieve like Papa did—she didn't have to forget. Aveena continues to stare at the door a few moments longer before leaving to find her papa and Trista, who was rarely far from either of them. She and Papa have an agreement to get along with each other as long as Aveena was around, after all, she's the reason the teen stayed fed and changed when she was an infant and served as a mother figure in her life, while he was the reason all of them stayed fed and warm now. A sudden shifting of the earth makes Aveena fall to her knees with a shout, hands coming up to cover her head as she curls into the fetal position. Everything rumbles and shakes for a while, Aveena included, items falling off shelves, small tables toppling over along with the vases of flowers they held. It was a mess!

"Papa," she cries out, voice raw from crying. Rumple runs up the stairs at his daughter's plead, finding her in the hall and quickly pulling her into his lap.

"I'll be alright, little bird," he whispers into her hair," it will pass just as all things do."

**Storybrooke**

I glare at the air cast on my arm, glad I would be getting the stupid thing off in a couple of days. It made my arm sweaty and itchy, but it wasn't as bad as an actual cast. "Miss Gold, would you mind paying attention," my art history teacher snaps. The old lady had a stick up her ass today and her target was me since she was behind in her rent. Yeah, go figure she'd pick on the kid whose father owns her damn house, but whatever.

"Sorry, Ma'am, I was just thinking about what my papa would do if he were stuck in the same room as a talking fossil," I reply, closing my notebook and stuffing it in my bag.

"Go to the office!" Her pale face was blotchy and her left eye was twitching—my job was done.

"With pleasure." I smile at her, walking out of the classroom and down the hall to the principal's office where I would sit until the bell rings and the principal would release his gym class, give me a five minute lecture, ask me to give my papa his regards, and send me on my way just in time for chemistry. It wasn't a bad arrangement, especially since it got me out of Mrs. Bryland's class. On the way to the office though, a tremor makes me fall on my ass, the walls of the school beginning to shake. Earthquakes had been occurring a lot recently and they always caught me off guard. I crawl into the office desperately, diving under the secretary's desk and covering my head with my hands.

"Miss Gold," the secretary greets, giving me an amused look before continuing with her daily crossword puzzle. They were like her version of crack and not even an earthquake was going to stop her from doing them. The earthquake stops after a little while and I come out, finding my papa standing in the doorway with raised brows when he spots me.

"Howdy," I smile, standing up and trying to stop my shaking. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm checking you out early," he explains with a smile," I had the feeling you would be sick after this." I nod, glad my papa knew enough about me that he would come get me early so that I could puke in the privacy of the shop bathroom. "Come on, the car's running."

**Dark Castle**

Mordred glares at Aveena across the table, not having taken her news well. "You will do as you were told, girl," he growls, setting his knife and fork down. She smiles at him, mischief dancing in her cerulean eyes, an expression often seen on her biological father's face, but she didn't know it at the time. At her smile, his frown deepens.

"You may be powerful, Ser, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well." At that, Aveena pulls out Excalibur and rests its point on Mordred's collarbone. "Now, if you're quite finished, I'll take my leave." She gives him one last glare, putting away the sword and walking out of the home, using what little magic actually worked for her to transport herself back to the castle in a puff of purple smoke. Carefully, she puts Excalibur back in its spot, looking around for her father but seeing no one. "Hm, must be out."

"Think again, Dearie." She jumps at her papa's voice, turning slowly with a guilty look. "And where have you been?"

"In the village," she answers quickly," I thought I'd pick up some fruit." Not exactly a lie, Rumple notices, but not the truth either and he's taught his daughter time and again that she couldn't get away with lying to him. The look he sends her way has her ducking her head and fidgeting with the skirt of her dress. "I was saying goodbye to Vincent….A final goodbye."

"Vincent?"

"Yes, Vincent—"

"How long have you been sneaking around behind my back with a boy?"

"A month or so, but he won't be around anymore, Papa."

"He better not be or I'll take care of him myself."

**Storybrooke**

Martin Paracida wasn't a very happy man at the best of times let alone when his son's girlfriend comes banging on his front door in the middle of the night. Grumbling, he shuffles down the stairs and flings the door open, dragging Morgan inside by the front of her dress, and slamming the door closed with a deafening  _bang_! "What do you want at this hour," he demands gruffly.

"To cancel our agreement," she says with a shrug, straightening out the little black number she'd worn to Graham's funeral a week prior. He had to admit, she looked good in it and he wouldn't mind seeing if his son was right at her supposed skill in the bedroom. "I will no longer tell you my papa's secrets because I'm not scared of you anymore. You're just an old man and your son is a boy with daddy issues."

"Excuse me—"

"Shut up." She didn't have to raise her voice to make Martin do as she said, her tone quiet, even, and deadly. "Tell your kid to go fuck that cheerleader he's been ogling for the past three weeks, but you might want to warn her how small he is." She holds her forefinger and thumb a few inches apart as she said that, using it for emphasis. "Goodnight, Mister Paracida."

**Morgan**

I smile as I walk into my house, a smug smile that mirrored my papa's to a tee. I had been forced to do the Paracidas' dirty work for the past couple of months under the threat that Martin would take everything my papa held dear until I realized that  _I_ was the thing papa loved the most. Tonight had gone splendidly, all day had, in fact—Emma had won the spot for Sheriff, Henry is safe and sound in his home, and Papa's shop doesn't smell too bad anymore!

"Morgan," Papa greets," where have you been?"

I plop down on the couch beside him. "Breaking things off with Eli," I answer with another smile. Papa nods his approval, pulling me close as an Indiana Jones movie comes on. We had both grown to love those movies and watched them whenever we had time to, which wasn't as often as we wanted. "I love you, Papa."

"And I you, Dearie."

**Dark Castle**

Aveena frowns as Belle runs out of the castle, having grown fond of the maid—not like she was with Trista, but close enough to miss her for a while. "Why'd you send her away," she asks Rumple.

"None of your concern," he snarls. Her eyes grow wide with fear at her papa's anger, never having dealt with him this mad before. Trista hurries into the room and ushers the girl outside, not wanting Rumple to do something he'd regret later like striking the girl he's claimed as his for the last fifteen years. Trista watches as the teen runs to the edge of the lake, the place she always goes to when she wants to be alone and think

**Storybrooke**

I frown as I hang up the home phone, curling up on my bed. Papa had been arrested for assault on Mister French, the town florist. I could bail him out in the morning, but Emma was already on her way home for the night and didn't want to deal with any paperwork. Somehow, Regina had found out before I did and was on the way to pick me up, making me stay at her house for the night—saying something about a free babysitter for one day next week in exchange for a home cooked meal and a place to stay. Shouldering my backpack, I walk outside to her waiting car.

This night will be the most awkward night of my life.


	9. Chapter 9

**~::Gossip::~**

**Dark Castle**

Aveena listens as her papa complains about true love, rolling her eyes as she practices with Excalibur and Trista continues to sew a new dress for her—a dark red dress that made her dark hair stand out and accentuated the fact that Aveena was becoming a woman. Papa hated it, but decided that his daughter could have it as long as she didn't wear it in front of guests. " _Prince Charming_  is enough to get on anyone's nerves, but Snow White is so sweet she could make your teeth rot," he grumbles, pacing back and forth in front of his spinning wheel.

"I kind of like Snow White," Aveena muses," she's strong and independent, and she doesn't need a man to defend her. Why shouldn't she fight for her true love?"

"It's not that, it's the fact that only a few weeks ago she asked for a potion to make her forget Charming and I'm sure he'll be here any minute to ask for a potion to fix her." At that moment, a handsome man barges into the room, looking frantic and he rushes over to Rumple.

"What did you do to Snow," he demands. Rumple turns to face Aveena and Trista with raised brows.

"What did I tell you?"

**Storybrooke**

"Hey, Miss Blanchard," I smile, one arm wrapped loosely around Henry's shoulders as I walk him into the classroom where I'd be aiding today. She grimaces, looking up at me with a worried frown. "Pay no attention to those blood hounds we call townsfolk, they're idiots." Recently the town gossip had been all about how Mary Margret, the nicest person in Storybrooke, had been having an affair with David Nolan, a recently awoken, ex-coma patient. I knew it was true, but I still hated to hear the gossip.

"How can I not? Some parents have requested having their children moved to a different class."

"If it makes you feel any better, last year someone spread a rumor that I did the dirty with the entire soccer team."

"And you had people to defend you."

"Yup," I nod, twining our arms together," and now it's my turn to defend your honor for a change. I'll tell Chloe Duvall that Mrs. Nolan was just freaking out for nothing and being a crazy, possessive bitch and  _that_ rumor will spread like wildfire—true or not." She gives me a weak smile, going to sit at her desk after handing me a stack of papers to make copies of for her later classes. In the workroom, said rumor mill—Chloe—was talking to her buddy about recent news. I set the first paper in the copier and press seventeen and then start, all the while listening intently to the Gossip Queen's conversation.

"Yeah, they found her car, but no Katherine," Chloe whispers. "They said she couldn't have run away on purpose because her bags were in the trunk still, so the police are thinking she was kidnapped."

"We all know who has a reason to get her out of the way," one of Chloe's lackeys replies," I bet the whore is happy to finally have Katherine out of her way so she has a shot at David."

"My papa told me that Katherine was complaining in his shop the other day," I pipe up, gaining their attention. "Said she was going on and on about how she couldn't wait to leave this place and find a new man to sink her claws into. Maybe where she's going she doesn't need clothes, at least, not much of them. I've heard strippers make good money." Grinning, I grab the papers and walk back to the classroom. That should help out Mary-Margaret.

Later on that day, I watch with wide eyes as Mary-Margaret is put in the back of Emma's cruiser and taken in for questioning. Apparently they had found new evidence and it was enough to make Mary Margaret look like a murderer!

**Dark Castle**

Aveena watches with interest as her papa places two strands of hair in a vial—pink swirls around inside it, a new spell Rumple had discovered and bottled. He places it on a shelf with similar vials, the marking on the new one proclaiming it to be True Love. He had finally done it.


	10. Chapter 10

**~::** **You Can't Drop Part of Your arm** **::~**

**Dark Castle**

Aveena sits on the shore of the lake, watching her reflection with little interest as she waited for her papa's business in the village to be finished. "Aveena?" A new reflection joins hers, a woman with dark brown hair and eyes and some weird outfit that looked too ostentatious for Aveena's taste. She turns to face the woman, hand resting on the hilt of her dagger. "I thought so, you look exactly like your father." Aveena's eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. She looked nothing like her papa.

"Who are you?"

"The only person who'll tell you the truth—my name is Regina."

**Storybrooke**

"Your Majesty," Papa greets as Regina storms into the shop and places a rotted apple on the display case.

"You think this is funny," she asks, obviously in a foul mood. "Well, I'll tell you what I think, I think it's a sign of the curse—" Papa cuts her off with a simple look, cutting his gaze in my direction. I look between the two adults, my laptop balanced on my knees as I absently thought of a good thesis statement for my term paper over Porphyria. "Morgan, can you give us some privacy, this is an urgent matter and it doesn't need to be discussed in front of children."

"Sure, but uh, I'm not eight," I quip," seventeen year old here, kind of a young adult. Just curious," I say as I stand up," when you say curse, did you mean like when Mojo Jojo said the same thing in an evil tone?"

"Morgan," Regina and papa say in unison.

"Alright, but if Regina starts hissing the word  _curses_  at little children because they were swimming in her moat, then know that I called it and I get to address her as Mojo Jojo for the rest of the month." 

"Morgan Elizabeth," Regina says again in the same stern tone she uses with Henry. I shrug, grabbing my notebook and walking into the back office. After a few minutes I grow frustrated at my lack of results and scribble a note for papa before running out the back door towards the docks with a pencil and notebook. All my best ideas occur when I'm at the docks with the water splashing over my feet. Papa hated my love of water, but he never forbid me from going to the docks as long as it wasn't too dark and I never showed up late to school or somewhere important.

Few people were there at this time of day, most were home with their families for dinner so I basically had the place to myself. At the docks I sit cross-legged with my notebook perched on my lap and my pencil between my lips as I tap out a four beat rhythm I had picked up from somewhere.

**Dark Castle**

"What do you mean the truth?" Regina smiles, a cruel smile that made Aveena nervous. Men in all black come out of the woods and surround the pair, weapons drawn and ready to be used.

"Put her in the carriage, she could be useful later."

* * *

 

Aveena pulls on the bars of her cell with all her strength, her only thought to escape from the Evil Queen's dungeons and get back to her papa. "There's no escaping here unless you possess any magic," Regina smirks confidently, looking the prisoner up and down. "And I highly doubt you have any magic inside that tiny body." Aveena pauses a second, a smile slowly beginning to form. She did have magic, not very much, but enough to do a simple teleportation spell. Her papa had taught her it when she was eight. "What's that look for, brat?"

"It's a look that any person gets when they know they bested someone," Aveena shrugs, purple smoke swirling around her feet at a rapid pace. Before Regina could counter the spell and force Aveena to stay, the teen was already back at the lake. Rumple appears seconds later, the residual magic catching his attention, but he ignores it when he finds his daughter smiling up at him from her spot on the ground. "Is it time to go back home?"

"Yes, little bird, my business here is done for now." She jumps up, taking his arm and smiling even more as she feels his magic surrounds them—it was warm and familiar to her, comforting in a way that nothing else was. Watching from behind a tree a few feet away was what appeared to be a teenage boy, grinning evilly as he witnessed his old friend interact with what would be his main weakness. Yes, the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin could further certain plans easily, all he had to do was turn her against the Imp.

**Storybrooke**

I barely noticed anything was amiss until I felt someone pulling me forcefully to my feet, my nearly completed thesis statement tumbling to the dock and my favorite pencil rolling into the water. "What the hell," I complain, turning to face the person interrupting my study time only to find my papa looking frantic. "What….What's going on?"

"It's young Henry, I'm afraid," Papa tells me softly, the hand not holding his cane giving my shoulder a comforting squeeze. "He's…" Papa trails off, as though unsure how to phrase the news.

"Papa?"

"He's in critical condition at the hospital, they're not quite sure what's wrong with him." I didn't wait for Papa to offer me a ride to the hospital, I just sprinted as fast as I could. To hell with me being the least athletic person in Storybrooke, Henry's in danger and I need some answers right fucking now! Storybrooke hospital is busy most of the time, but the ICU ward was in total chaos when I arrive thirty minutes later, Doctor Whale trying separate Emma and Regina so that they wouldn't kill each other.

The distraction worked in my favor, as I was able to get into Henry's room without anyone trying to stop me. Lying on the hospital bed and hooked up to numerous machines is the little boy I've always viewed as a brother, his skin ashen and his breathing shallow. "Oh my God," I breathe, my hands flying up to cover my mouth. I've never seen him look so fragile, so vulnerable, not even as an infant. Sure, he cried a lot, but he was always so strong! "No, no, no." Just then a large nurse walks into the room, forcing me to leave so he could retake Henry's vitals.

**Dark Castle**

Aveena's eyes close as she focuses on the feel of the sword in her hand, won from King Arthur in one of her papa's various deals. Excalibur was its name and it was part of her now, just like her arm was part of her.  _You can't drop part of your arm_ , she tells herself as her arm grows tired and the sword heavier. Fidget watches her on the stairs, having snuck down when she left him in her bed. Behind the kitten is Trista, sitting and petting the kitten's head absently. She found a woman handling a sword interesting—her own father would have beat her bloody if she even thought of touching a sword.

"You can't drop part of your arm," Aveena whispers under her breath, moving in a motion as fluid as water. She has been taught well. "You can't drop part of your arm."

Looking out the window, Trista saw the cloud of magic—dark purple with green lightening. It scared her, she didn't know for sure what was about to happen and she wanted to be as near to Aveena as she could at the time of impact. It would be any second now and Trista held her breath, sweeping the kitten up into her arms. She hoped it came with them so Aveena would not be completely alone. And then the cloud enveloped the castle, crumbling stone and turrets—sending the inhabitants into a deep sleep.

**Storybrooke**

I anxiously pace the hospital waiting room, waiting for my turn to visit Henry. Mary-Margret was in there right now, reading him his book of fairy tales. According to him, they helped to wake up David Nolan from his coma and now Mary-Margret was trying them out on him to see if it works even the slightest bit. Emma and Regina had run off to find something that they thought could save their son. I just wanted him to wake up. Hell, I've been watching the kid every other Saturday since he was learning to walk, I'd watched him take his first steps, say his first word; the kid meant the world to me and I don't know what'd I would do if he didn't make it.

Alarms start sounding in the E.R. and soon after Mary Margret runs out in tears. "No," I shout, voice raw. I sprint into Henry's room only to have the big guy that stopped me earlier wrap an arm around my waist and pull me out into the hall. "Henry!"

"I'm sorry," the nurse whispers, holding me as I break down, "I'm so, so sorry."

* * *

I stumble around on the streets, unsure of where I'm going just that I needed to get away. Henry was gone forever and now I had nothing to look forward to. "You can't drop part of your arm," I whisper to myself, the phrase I'd often tell myself in times of stress. It was comforting, though I have no idea why. "You can't drop part of your arm...You can't drop part of your arm..." Somehow I'd made it into the shop and to the display of a beautifully crafted sword; golden hilt and ruby encrusted, the blade was sharp and shining when it catches the low light of the shop. "You can't drop part of your arm." I pick up the sword, liking the weight and beginning to move with it; doing things I didn't know I was capable of doing. "You can't drop part of your arm..." And in that moment, memories begin to flash through my mind, making me fall to my knees and clench the sword tightly.

_Familiar blue eyes meeting mine in a crowded village...Papa holding me when I had a nightmare...Trista showing me how to care for a little black cat...Regina kidnapping me...Excalibur fitting into my hand near perfectly as I learned how to handle it...The curse, the horrible curse that wiped my memories from my mind and replaced them with false ones...Bae...The man from the market place, the one that looked at me with such sorrow...My name...._

I gasp, shaking I as ran out in the streets with a few of the other people—Granny…Red…Grumpy and the other Dwarves….But no papa, no Trista. I was all alone in this world and I had no idea what to do. Some of the other residents send me strange looks, glancing down at my right hand. I was still holding Excalibur tightly. 

_You can't drop part of your arm._


	11. Season Two: Knowledge is Power

[Season 2 Outfits](https://www.polyvore.com/ignorance_is_bliss_season/collection?id=5641399)

**Dark Castle**

When Jefferson followed Rumple into the main hall of his castle, the last thing he expected to see was a four year old hanging upside down under a table by yarn while her nanny stood beside the table with her head in her hands shaking with laughter. He raises an eyebrow at the Imp, nodding at the odd scene in silent question. "Trista," Rumple asks, appearing just as confused as Jefferson," if you didn't want to mess with her all you had to do was send her to her room, not tie her up with your yarn."

"It was all her idea, Dark One," Trista says, sobering immediately when she notices the men. "I was sewing one of her dresses when she went silent and I grew worried, I just found her like this seconds before you."

"I believe it." Rumple uses his magic to untangle the child and set her gently on her feet I front of him. Jefferson clears his throat, gaining the Imp's attention again. "Trista, if you don't mind doing your job, Jefferson and I have business to discuss." Trista drops into a deep curtsy, taking Aveena's hand in hers and walking down the hall to the play room Rumple had created when Aveena was two. Not that she spent much time in there anyway; she usually brought her toys in here and played while he worked or spun. When he was certain they wouldn't be overheard by little ears, Rumple closes the doors and sits down at the head of the long table that sat in the middle of the room. "I trust you have what I asked for?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Jefferson grumbles, setting a hand-sized gold disk down on the table, the tangle of gold chains connected to it rattling. "Straight from a group of Huns, they seemed agitated that they couldn't pawn it off for a higher price, but I mentioned your name and you got it for a discount." He reaches back into his carry bag for Rumple's purse. "What are you gonna use that for?" Rumple smiles, a smile that made Jefferson's blood run cold.

"An old friend of mine deserves a little present." He looks down at the thick disk, taking in the Chinese markings on the front that named it for what it was. Yes, the Wraith may come in handy once his curse is broken and he has no further need of Regina.

**Storybrooke**

I cough slightly as the purple cloud of magic disappears, waving my hand in front of my face just to make sure it was gone. I hated the feel of it when it wasn't strictly my papa's magic or my own, it felt  _wrong_ somehow. Gripping the sword in my hand tightly, I walk over to the group of people gathering on the street. "Um, excuse me," I call out uncertainly," could anybody tell me whether they've seen my papa?" Emma Swan looks at me over her shoulder, one of her hands holding onto the little boy I never thought I'd see again. "Jesus, Henry!" I pull him into a hug, dropping to my knees so that he and I are on the same level.

"I missed you too, Morgan," he smiles, pulling back slightly.

"Aveena, my real name's Aveena." He shrugs, his smile widening. "You already knew that, didn't you, Squirt?" He nods, the book of fairy tales tucked under one of his arms. "And you kept it from me this entire time?"

"I didn't know how you'd react."

"Okay, so, you happily tell me what color your puke is, but not that Regina put a curse on everybody and I'm actually a badass with a sword? God, I've had a bigger influence on you than I thought." Henry laughs, moving to stand next to his biological mom again. Emma gives me a weird look, putting her hand on Henry's shoulder again. She's protective of him—mother's instincts finally kicking in after ten years. "I'm Aveena." I hold out a hand for her to shake, keeping Excalibur close to my side. She shakes my hand slowly, looking suspicious and slightly concerned.

"Gold's daughter," she asks.

"Rumple's, actually." I rock back onto the balls of my feet and bounce slightly. "Well, this has been sufficiently awkward. I'm gonna go find my papa now." Where was he anyway? Back in the store, I close my eyes and focus on using the new magic, trying to locate where Papa might be when he and a woman walks into the store. Her tangled brown hair and torn old lady clothes made it hard to really tell who she was until she turned around. "Belle," I shout, shooting forward and tackling the other woman in a hug. Belle's blue eyes widen in shock, but once she realizes who I am she hugs me back with a laugh.

"I've missed you too," she smiles, sitting up with me. "What on earth are you wearing?" I look down at my outfit with a shrug, seeing nothing wrong with it; short shorts, a Game of Thrones shirt, and my Doctor Who converses. Upon seeing my confused look she elaborates. "I've only ever seen you in dresses that Rumple had tailored for you."

"These shorts are more comfy," I shrug, puling at the dark red cotton as Papa goes to the back of the store to find Belle a suitable outfit instead of the hospital clothes she was wearing now. "How the hell are you even here right now? Papa said you were dead." She blushes, looking down at the floor and pushing some of her hair behind her ears.

"Regina kidnapped me and locked me away to hurt Rumple."  _The wicked bitch of the West strikes again_ , I think to myself with a scowl, standing up with Belle. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, she hates Papa and one of the best ways to hurt him is to go after the woman he fell in love with. "Anyway, did I miss anything while I was away?"

"We thought Snow White was a murderer for a while," I shrug," earthquakes nearly made me pee myself, and I've made the honor roll two years running." Belle smiles at me, pulling me into another, gentler hug. "I've missed you so much." I looked up to Belle when I was younger, she was an actual Princess and knew how to read and write—she could stick up for herself! Trista could do none of that, she was afraid of what Papa might do to her and I was too. He isn't exactly known for his forgiving nature; people tend to focus more on the fact that he turned a potential suitor of mine into a bug and stepped on him….Repeatedly. Papa comes back into the room, a bundle of clothing and a pair of shoes in his arms.

"You can change behind the curtain," He tells the brunette next to me with a kind smile. Belle smiles in thanks, taking the clothes and walking into the back room. The second she's out of sight, Papa basically picks me up in a bear hug, one that I return with enthusiasm. "I've missed you so much, little bird. You have no idea of the hell I was in while you were still cursed and I could do nothing to help you." Nodding, I tighten my grip on his expensive suit. "I love you more than anything."  _Not more than Bae_. I can feel tears building up and do nothing to hold them back. Sometimes tears are a good thing, everyone deserves to have a good cry every once in a while. "Now we can find your older brother."

"B-Bae's here? In Storybrooke?"

"Not in Storybrooke, no. He's in this world somewhere, and we need to find him so we can be a whole family again."  _How can we be whole without a mom_? As if reading my thoughts, Papa pulls away slightly to look down and study my face. "Are you alright, you're a bit pale."

"Fine, this all just a lot to take in right now." He nods, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"I'll have Belle watch the shop for a few minutes so I can take you home. I have a feeling your old friend will be waiting for us there." He was right as he so often is—Trista was sitting on the front porch steps, her cat, Tom, sitting in her lap and purring contentedly when we pull up in the driveway. "You see, Aveena, my feelings are right most of the time. Like that feeling I had about the Thai food we ate last week, bad feeling equals food poisoning." I snort, unbuckling my seat belt and hopping out of the car.

"Aveena," Trista sighs in relief, standing and hugging me. Is everyone in a hugging mood today, or am I going nuts? "Dark One."

"Trista." Papa nods in acknowledgment, gently pushing Tom away using his cane.

"You still need your cane," I notice, eyebrows scrunching together. He lets out a humorless laugh, giving me a shrug that said  _What can ya do_. "But….You never needed it before. Did the curse do this to you?"

"Ah, I'd rather not discuss it in front of the help right now." His superior look fades to a humbler one after receiving a stern look from me. "What I meant to say was nice to see you again, Trista." I continue to watch him until he holds out a hand for my old nanny to shake. "Now, if you'll both excuse me, I have a certain queen to talk to about leaving this place." I make to follow him, but he holds me back with a hand on my shoulder. "Why don't you just stay here with Trista? You both could have a movie night and when I'm finished, I'll swing by to pick you up. You, Belle, and I can have dinner at the shop tonight."

"Alright, Papa, but be careful. The people around here might try something."

"I'm always careful, don't worry." He looks around, as if one of the townspeople would pop out and try to stake him at any given second, which if I was being completely honest, could actually happen. "But until I'm back, I want you inside at all times with the doors locked. Not everyone in Storybrooke is stupid enough to go after me..."  _The smart ones would come for me_.

**Dark Castle**

Aveena looks around the room cautiously, making sure it was completely empty before running over to the long table that took up most of the space. She was curious about what her Papa's visitor had brought earlier today and since Rumple was busy scolding Trista this was her best chance to sneak a look. With her tongue peeking out from between her lips, she wriggles her way onto the table where the strange object sat next to an octagonal gold container. It was the shiniest thing she's ever seen before, the moonlight pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling windows hitting the disk and making it glow with an otherworldly quality. She was itching to touch it, some instinct hidden deep within her urging her to grab it and run; that if she could hide it well enough no one would know she was the thief.

Just as she stretched out a small hand to grab the disk, another hand latches onto her wrist, her fingers stopping inches away from the gold. The hand holding hers in place is a green-gold color, the skin resembling scales rather than actual flesh, though they were smoother than most; they also belonged to the man she called Papa, which meant she was in big trouble.

"And what do you think you're doing in here without an adult around, Aveena?" His voice is hard and makes her flinch, looking up at him with wide eyes. Instead of the furious expression she thought would meet her gaze, she finds worry.

"What is it?"

"Something that may or may not be of use to me later on." He uses magic to raise the disk and place it in the container, making sure the lid was snapped closed before he let go of her wrist. "You're not to touch that, do you understand? It would hurt you badly and hurt me even worse."

"Okay, Papa."


	12. Chapter 12

**~::Expecto Patronum::~**

**Dark Castle**

Killian wasn't sure what exactly kept drawing him back to the market place day after day, there wasn't anything of interest for sale here and the women weren't his type. So why in the hell did his gut tell him to keep checking in? He was just contemplating whether to go back to his ship or not when he spotted her, though how he spotted her was a mystery to him. A teen was in the back of the Evil Queen's carriage, obviously struggling against her magic, but getting nowhere. The teen was pretty with long, dark brown hair that framed an oval face, pale skin with a hint of freckles, and blue eyes he saw every time he looked into a mirror.

He  _knew_ that girl, but he also knew he would have hell breaking into the Queen's castle with his life. He would do it if it meant getting his daughter back—it didn't hurt that he would have had to break in any way to question the other brunette that the Queen kept locked away in a tower. If he could get to Aveena, he had no doubts that his daughter would tell him everything he needed to know about the Dark One. Ducking his head, he makes his way through the sea of people and back to his ship. He would need to come up with a plan before he charged in and rum's never hurt the process before.

**Storybrooke**

I changed the moment I got into my room at home, deciding on a pair of loose jeans and a blue sweater that matched my eyes; Papa had bought them for me last month when it started to get cold out. My school uniform changing from T-shirts and skirts to tasteful pants and sweaters is what made up his mind. He didn't like me wearing boyish clothing, always grumbling under his breath about raising a Lady, not some street rat, but he wouldn't make me freeze either. Trista and I talked for hours, bonding over Supernatural and Ranger's Apprentice. Only when Papa showed up to drive me to the shop did we leave each other's sight and that was reluctantly. After a satisfying dinner of pizza, Belle disappears into the back room of the shop to find a book to read and Papa brought out the materials needed for tea.

I sit cross-legged in front of the display case, using a rag to carefully scrub Excalibur's scabbard—the gold designs on the front now shining like new. The scabbard itself is made of a magical wood and dark leather, swirling designs forming a dragon near the top with two small rubies making up the dragon's eyes. I take great pride in keeping it clean, the design being one of the most intricate ones I've ever seen. I've been sitting in this spot ever since diner was finished, focused on getting the scabbard back to its former glory with no real noise going on, so when Snow White, Prince Charming, and Emma Swan burst into the shop with a loud commotion, you can imagine how far in the air I jumped. "What can I do for you," Papa asks, clearly displeased at the interruption in his nightly tea routine.

"What you can do is tell us what you did," Emma tells him in a low voice, leaning forward on the counter near where I am sitting. Charming looks down at me, his eyes showing how unsure he was at talking when I'm in the room.  _Calm down, if Regina can trust me to take care of Henry, he can trust me enough to talk to my Papa while I'm around_.

"I'm sorry, you're gonna have to be more specific."

"You know damn well what we're talking about," Charming says.

"You double-crossed Emma, you, uh, took your potion from her," Snow starts.

"And did who knows what to this town."

"And worst of all, you risked Henry's life," Emma finishes. She looks furious, like she could rip Papa apart without a second's hesitation if he said the wrong thing. I reach one hand down to touch Excalibur's hilt, fingering one of the emeralds while watching the scene unfold before me. I would have to be ready if something happened because Papa's magic isn't back to its full strength yet.

"Well, that is quite a litany of grievances, isn't it," Papa asks, clearly unaffected. I stand up slowly, attaching the sword to my belt with one hand resting on its hilt. Emma's anger has only grown worse, making me nervous. If papa couldn't react in time, then it could mean his death—magic or not, not much could stop an angry mother from avenging her child.

"Maybe I don't need answers, maybe I just to punch you in the face."

"Try it, Blondie," I snarl, stepping forward," because it'll be the last thing you ever do."

"Aveena." Papa places a hand on my shoulder, coming around the counter to face down the golden trio. I tighten my grip on Excalibur, drawing a few inches of the blade from the scabbard to show the trio that I'm not afraid to draw blood if need be. "Let me ask you some questions, Miss Swan. Did your dear boy Henry survive?"

"Yeah."

"Is the curse broken? And let's see, uh, how long have you been searching for your parents?" Emma crosses her arms over her chest, glaring at Papa and me. "Looks like you're reunited—seems like rather a punch in the face, I deserve a thank you."

"Twist my words all you want. What was the purple haze that you brought?" Is she so out of tune with magic that she wouldn't know it when she saw it?

"You know, magic."

"Why," Snow asks.

"Not telling." The conversation is interrupted by what feels like an earthquake, the ground shaking and sending me to me knees. "Aveena!" When I fell, I went forward and was now lying beside Charming's boots. Charming and Snow help me up, making sure I was steady before rushing out the door after their daughter.

"Was that what I think that was," I ask, voice shaking. "Was that a Wraith?" Papa gives me a smile, one that looked so much like the old him that I step back out of instinct. This wasn't the man I've grown used to, he was always kind and thought in advance as to what was best for everyone; this is the businessman everyone else saw. This is the Imp that Trista kept me away from and now as I look at him I can see what made everyone so afraid. "You're going to kill Henry's mom...W-why would you..." I trail off, feeling confused and just wanting all of this fighting to end. I shake my head, turning and speed walking to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To clean up your mess!"

**Dark Castle**

Rumple paces the room anxiously, chewing on his thumbnail as the dark thoughts swarmed through his mind. Aveena is missing, he was no closer to finding Bae, and Regina was being a pain in his ass with her goody two shoe ways; how could this day get any worse? And to think that it had started out so well, Aveena had painted him a picture of a unicorn and Trista had made a decent enough breakfast that he didn't have to use magic to make it edible. Now he's ready to kill the first person to bring him anymore bad news. It seems the only way his day could get worse is if the person that's holding his daughter captive is the girl's biological father.

Just the thought of Killian Jones's smug face is enough to make Rumple pick up a chair and throw it across the room, the wood splintering and sending shards scattering throughout the room. He would get Aveena back if it's the last thing he does. The thing that makes him even angrier is the fact that he allowed himself to grow attached to the child in the first place, she was only supposed to be a prisoner, something to make Jones furious, but now Rumple found himself willing to do most anything to make sure she was safe.

He just wants his little bird back in his arms.

**Storybrooke**

I finally find the group I was looking for in the city hall, the Charmings brandishing brooms that stink of gasoline. "What are you doing here," Emma asks uncertainly, eyeing the sword on my hip. I sneer at the blonde, crouching next to Regina and the top hat that Papa's friend took with him everywhere. It's a portal, of that much I am certain, but I'm not sure where it leads to.

"I'm here to help," I answer as a rumbling sound picks up. The Wraith is close and I know exactly who it's coming for when I see the mark branded into Regina's hand—a familiar design I remember seeing years ago etched into a strange gold disk.

"Focus," Regina instructs, staring intently down at the hat. Man, Jefferson made this look easy when it's anything but! Biting my lip, I focus as hard as I can on transferring my magic into the hat to create a portal, but magic works differently here and I have even less than I did back in the Enchanted Forest. "Focus harder or we're all going to die!" The double doors slam open and the howling sound grows louder as the Wraith comes closer. A sweat breaks out on my forehead, stinging my eyes. Just my luck, the second I decide to step up and help the good guys is the day I get turned into Wraith chow! A black mass swings into the room and my mind instantly compares the Wraith to a Dementor from Harry Potter. What spell could be used to send a Wraith running for the hills? I certainly couldn't stand up and shout _Expecto Patronum_ or picture a happy memory. "It's not working!"

"I fucking hate Storybrooke," I growl, brow creasing and hands shaking. My magic is just a faint trickle, barely enough to soak into the tattered hat, but it's better than nothing at all in a situation like this.

"What's the problem," Emma asks. The howling is louder now—like the horrible noise a tornado makes just before it destroys everything—and everyone has to shout to be heard above it.

"Now would be the time," David shouts, swinging his flaming broom around to keep the Wraith at bay. Emma kneels down next to us, one hand resting on Regina's arm and the other on mine. I can feel magic course through Emma, into me, and then into the hat just seconds before a portal opens like a maelstrom, sucking in everything around it and creating more noise than before. It sucks the Wraith inside and as the Wraith goes down it latches onto Emma's boot. Acting without thought, I grab onto her hand to pull her out, but the portal and Wraith are too strong and end up pulling the both of us down into darkness.

**Gold**

Gold looks up as David enters the shop, feeling annoyance and anger swell up in his chest. Henry is behind Nolan, looking at Gold with curiosity and sadness that made him pause. There's something familiar about the boy that kept Gold from wanting him hurt, that made him want to give the child the world. "What is it now," Gold asks, polishing the top of the display case.

"It's your daughter." Those words had him tensing, a thousand scenarios running through his mind, but none as terrible as what he was told next. "She was sucked into the portal, I'm sorry."

"Get out." David nods, wrapping an arm around his grandson's shoulders and leading him out of the shop, the little bell above the door jingling happily. Why did she have to run after them and try to be a hero? Gold sinks down into a chair, staring straight ahead with his cane clenched tightly in his hands. What would he do now?


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aveena's locket  
> http://www.esswatch.com/images/WP%20Series/WP021.jpg

**~::A Friend** **::~**

**Dark Castle**

After months of searching, Rumple was beginning to think his daughter was dead—there had been no sign of her around the castle grounds or the small village she regularly shopped at, his magic was turning up nothing—it was almost like what happened to Bae all those years ago all over again. The worst part of it all was that there was nothing he could do either way, he can't bring her back if she's died and he can't travel to another world without the curse and Regina is still months away from accomplishing that.

He growls, pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace, his hands behind his back as he struggles to keep his anger in check. The last thing he needed was to accidentally murder Trista and then have Aveena waltz back in and be heartbroken. The furniture around him begins to vibrate, his magic reacting to his anger. "Dark One…There's something you need to see." He looks at his new maid over his shoulder, sneering at her shaking form. She's scared of him, but he doesn't relish it like he would if she were someone else—just like he didn't like scaring his daughter.

"Unless you've found my daughter—"

"I have." Rumple doesn't wait for any further explanation, running past Belle to his work room where he knew Aveena would go first. The little girl is curled up in a corner, her eyes wide and filled with tears. Trista is kneeling next to her, giving Rumple a troubled stare. Something has happened to the child and it was bad.

 **Storybrooke** — **Gold**

It seemed that his daughter's old saying about planets aligning in the perfect position to curse his day was proving all too true. He wasn't sure where his son is in this new world, his daughter is in the land he needed to get away from in order to find his son, and now David Nolan has just strolled right into the shop like he owned the damn place. The real question seemed to be if he could catch one single, solitary break today. "It appears when I bought that closed sign I was just throwing my money away," Gold says by way of greeting.

"Looks like it," Nolan agrees, walking over to where Gold was standing.

"Sorry to hear about your wife and daughter."  _Why'd they have to drag my daughter along with them_ , he adds in his head. "If you're looking for a retrieval, I'm afraid portal-jumping is just outside my purview."

"Of course it is." Gold waits for Nolan to continue, but the only noise to keep the awkward silence away is the slamming of car doors and people shouting.

"So what's the commotion outside?" He rests both hands on top of his cane, cursing his foolishness at listening to that Seer. If he'd just fought like he originally wanted to, he wouldn't be in this situation! He wouldn't be worrying about the daughter he never should have had, Bae and Milah would be safe, and half of what's happened never would have.  _But you would never have known the love a child was capable of bestowing on even a monster like yourself_ , a small voice whispers.

"A little stir at the border. A problem crossing the line." Now that got his attention, for if he wanted to find Bae he would have to leave Storybrooke.

"Do tell."

"Actually, I'm here to buy something—a way to find someone."

"What, like a map?" Gold was in the mood just then to punch someone and David Nolan made a very good-looking target on which to unleash his anger.

"Something with a bit more kick, like the ring you gave me to find Snow." Unbelievable, that's what Nolan is, unbelievable and a pain in his ass! Gold could care less about Snow White, the woman only ever gave him problems when she wasn't fueling Regina's rage and her daughter was proving to be the same annoyance.

"Don't you think that if there was a way to use magic to get your loved ones back from wherever it is they've gone, I would already have Aveena back?" He pauses, studying the determined set to Nolan's jaw and coming to the conclusion that this was about something else. "Whom are you following?"

"Not telling." What is he, three or thirty?

"So do you have something of theirs, this missing person?"

"Yes," he nods, unconsciously mimicking Gold by clasping his hands in front of him.

"May I see it?"

"No." That answer was a bit too quick for Gold's liking, but he figured the only way to get the answers he wants is to play along. With a chuckle, he turns to the small box sitting on the display case and opens it, holding up a bottle of blue-green liquid for Nolan to see.

"Pour this on the object and then follow it." Those directions should be simple enough for the imbecile to understand. "So simple, even David Nolan can do it," he adds with a bit of his old self. When he reaches for it, Gold moves it out of his reach.

"What do you want?"

"Peace. Leave me alone." It's Nolan's turn to chuckle now, shaking his head.

"What do  _you_  care what David Nolan does?"

"No, no—it's Charming I worry about. I'd like a little…." He trails off to think of the correct word. "Non-interference guarantee."

"Fine,  _if_ you give me the same. You and I will stay out of each other's way." Gold studies Nolan's face and body language, debating on whether the other man would honor the agreement or not. Of course, if there's anything that Charming is, it's so honorable that he'd make even Snow White look like a woman without morals.

"Thank you for your business." Nolan takes the bottle and Gold lets him get to the door before posing the question that's been plaguing him since Nolan brought it up. "So what happens when you try to cross the border?" Nolan turns to face him, looking solemn.

"You lose your memory of everything of our old lives." Cursed all over again. "Looks like we're stuck here." The second the door closes behind Nolan, Gold brings his cane down on a display case, shattering the glass and cutting himself in the process. It was all for nothing—he wouldn't be able to leave Storybrooke to find his son and now his daughter was stuck in the land he'd run away from! It's not fair, it's not fair!

**Dark Castle**

"Little bird?" Aveena stares directly at him, but Rumple knew she didn't see him—she's far away in some horrible place. He kneels in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders and shaking her just enough to snap her back. The second her eyes clear of whatever drug had kept her back, she flings herself forward into his arms, sobbing hard and clutching his cloak tightly in her small fists. "It's alright, darling, you're home now and I'll never let you go again."

"He wants me back," she sobs," he wants me back and he won't let me go next time!" Rumple holds her in a death grip, unsure of who she was talking about, but wanting to crush their heart all the same. How  _dare_ they hurt the daughter of the Dark One! "He…" she trails off, crying too hard to continue to speak.

"I have something for you." He pulls back just enough to dig around in the hidden pocket sewn into his cloak, pulling out a small brass pocket watch on a chain. It clearly belonged to a woman due to the design of flowers on the front. "I've enchanted it just for you, it will let me know where you are as long as you are wearing it. I'll never lose you again." She lets him put it on her, taking the watch in her hands to study it.

"It's a woman's."

"Yes, it…. It belonged to your mother, but I think you deserve it more."

**Meanwhile in the Enchanted Forest….**

I stumble along after the others, the coarse rope binding my hands together cutting into the sensitive flesh of my wrists. The land around us belongs in one of those movies I used to watch where the planet was turned into a wasteland. "Where are we," Snow asks. The Chinese woman that bound our hands and holds our leading ropes in her hands makes the horse she's riding stop for a moment to look around.

"Our home," she answers shortly. And then we were off again, towards an island and trying our damnedest not to trip over a log and be dragged the rest of the way. The village we enter can hardly be called that, more like a refugee camp. The people inhabiting it drop what they're doing as we approach, as nervous as a deer that knows it's being hunted. They remind me of the villagers I saw my papa terrorize once, unsure what to do or if they should fight back. 

"It's like they're refugees," Emma states, looking around us in a sort of shocked wonder.

"We're survivors." I clutch at the pocket watch that hangs around my neck, rubbing it and wondering if what Papa told me all those years ago was true.  _Can he know where I am if I'm no longer in the same realm as him?_  I don't bother to try and escape when Snow and Emma do, it'd be pointless since we're clearly outnumbered and my magic isn't behaving just yet. The two women don't get far, Snow White getting knocked unconscious by the Chinese woman and Emma stopping to check on her mother.

"Get off me," I snarl when a large man grabs my arm to keep me where I am.

"Take them to the pit." Well, that place could only sound more depressing if they told me I'd be meeting Lucifer and Michael. The man holding my arm drags me off, the men holding Emma and her mother following behind, shoving all of us into a cave-like room and slamming the heavy door shut behind them. The least they could have done was untie us. Emma crouches over her mom, trying to wake her up with no success. The room is lit by the sunlight filtering in through a hole in the roof, but it didn't illuminate all of the cave, part of it left in shadow.

"Do you need help?" Emma and I both jump when we hear a new voice, watching as an older woman steps into the light. She must have been important once if you take in account of her dress—no peasant could afford silk, let alone enough of it to make a gown like the one she is wearing.

"Who are you," I ask, speaking for only the second time since I woke up.

"A friend. My name's Cora."


	14. Chapter 14

**~::Vee** **::~**

**Jolly Rodger** — **Past**

Killian smiles down at the baby in his arms, his smile widening at the giggle she gives him. He didn't know many children, but Aveena is the happiest one he's ever seen; something that both he and Milah are thankful for. "You'll have your own ship when you're older," he tells the baby in a cheerful tone reserved only for her and Milah," your own crew, and a trail of broken hearts behind you. I bet you'll be as fearless as your mother, Vee." Aveena giggles, squirming happily in his arms, bringing one little hand up to play with his lips.

"I don't think you'd let her out of your sight long enough to break a man's heart." He winks at Milah, taking one of his daughter's hands in his own. At just five and a half months old, Aveena looked more like her father than ever and Killian took great pride in it. Who wouldn't want to look like him, he's bloody gorgeous! "Don't listen to your father, Vee, you'll just end up infuriated." Killian places the hand not full of his daughter over his chest in mock pain.

"You wound me." Milah grins, leaning in to kiss him as well as she could with the infant between them. "I love you, wench."

"And I love you, pirate."

**Enchanted Forest**

I stay curled up in my corner of the cave, leaning back against the rough stone wall as Cora and Emma examine a still unconscious Mary-Margret. I study Cora from my position, a small voice telling me that she's worse than anyone I've ever met, though I can't quite figure out why. I've never met her before, I've never even heard her name before, but she isn't someone I intend to get all buddy-buddy with anytime soon either. Papa's always told me to follow my instincts and right now they're telling me to let the magic in me gain strength because I'll need it soon enough. Maybe I could use it to get back to Storybrooke. "Why are you here," I hear Emma ask Cora, perking my interest.

"I'm here because of something my daughter did," Cora answers hesitantly," the curse that ravished this land...She cast it." Holy mother of Galifrey, this is the bitch everyone refuses to talk about? She's the one that set Regina on her path to destroy happiness and gave my father a pupil?! I always assumed she was some old crone with immense power, but from what I see she's the exact opposite; while there is some magic inside her, there's not enough to worry about. Like as not, she relied on some talisman or another to really do anything before the curse.

"Regina," Emma state in disbelief. "You're Regina's  _mother_?"

"Yes, but you've nothing to fear from me. The apple fell very far from the tree, believe me." Why should we? "You're from over there, aren't you?" Cora smiles, looking over all of us, her gaze lingering on me for a second longer than necessary. "How'd you get back?" While Emma and Cora had been talking, Mary-Margret began to stir, clutching her head with her brows scrunched together as if in pain. If that lady is actually who she says she is, then things are about to get really interesting. Mary-Margret slowly stands up, her dark eyes fixed on Cora with an expression of fear and anxiety on her face. "Oh, Snow," Cora smiles. "You're awake, I'm so relieved." If you're relieved Mary-Margret's awake, then I'm Ciel Phantomhive. Mary-Margret, takes hold of Emma's arms, pushing her back from Cora.

"As bad as you think Regina is," she tells Emma," this woman is worse. Just ask, Morgan." Again, Cora glances at me, but I avoid her gaze and look down at my shoes instead. The last thing I need right now is for Cora to find out who my Papa is because if that happens, I'm as good as dead. I know there was tension between my Papa and Cora, but I'm not certain of the reason or how deep her hatred for him runs.

"Oh, Snow." Cora's all apologetic now, all warning signs pointing towards her bad acting. "Sweet Snow, please. Believe me, whatever she told you  _isn't_ true; I just want to help you." Mary-Margret has Emma positioned behind her in case Cora tried something—I also notice she's positioned them both slightly in front of me.

"Let's just hear her out," Emma whispers to her mom.

"Emma." Snow shakes her head firmly, against any idea that she and Cora could get along.

"Okay, right now we are at the bottom of a hole with no other options, and Henry is back in Storybrooke with Regina." I tense at the mention of Henry, looking up at Emma like she's some new type of stupid I've just uncovered.

"Who's Henry," Cora asks. I jump up from my spot on the ground to cut Emma off.

"He's none of your damn business," I growl, not wanting Henry brought up at all in front of this hag. "Emma, keep your mouth shut. I trust this woman about as far as I can throw her."

"Enough," a man from the entrance above us shouts, lowering a rope for us to climb up. "Our leader requests an audience!" Well, isn't that just lovely.

**Killian Jones**

Killian looks up from his work as a soft, sad voice floats on the wind towards his station, eyebrows scrunched together at the unfamiliar melody. He grabs the arm of the person walking past him, making the woman turn to face him. "Who is that singing," he asks.

"One of the prisoners, she was a court minstrel for Snow White and Prince Charming. Lancelot wanted to prove she wasn't just lying to him, so he made her sing." The woman walks on, Killian's arm falling to his side as he listens to the song. If he closes his eyes, he can almost imagine that it is Milah singing to their daughter on those nights where they slept out on the deck of the  _Jolly Rodger_ , Aveena snuggled between them. He follows the sound, maneuvering through the crowd that had gathered around Lancelot's table. Sitting there was Lancelot, a beautiful blonde woman that he wouldn't mind having a taste of, Snow White, and a girl that he didn't think he'd see for a while yet. Aveena looks nothing like her mother, the only resemblance he can spot being her singing.

 _"Passing bells and sculpted angels—cold and monumental—seem for you the wrong companions, you were warm and gentle. Too many years fighting back tears; why can't the past just die? Wishing you were somehow here again, knowing we must say goodbye. Try to forgive, teach me to live—give me the strength to try. No more memories, no more silent tears, no more gazing across the wasted years! Help me say goodbye, help me say goodbye._ "

He could feel tears sliding down his face at his daughter's completely helpless tone, wishing he could just run forward and embrace the girl in his arms and shout that he's here and he would never leave her again, but one glance form Lancelot—or should he say Cora—has him rooted to the spot. There's no point is risking his revenge and having his daughter with him permanently just for one foolhardy notion. There are tears on Aveena's face as well, the teen quickly wiping them away when she reopens her eyes; those eyes that are still exactly like his own.

 _I will have you back soon enough, Vee, I promise you that much_.


	15. Chapter 15

**~::Harry Potter** **::~**

**Neverland** — **Past**

Rumple looks around him in awe, the trees of the forest reaching such heights as to disappear into the clouds—their thick foliage blocking out the moonlight. "What is this place," he asks his best friend, dark eyes going wider the more he takes in of this strange new land.

"I don't know," his friend answers. Something dark moves just out of sight, watching the two boys with curiosity. They weren't the first boys to end up on Neverland and they wouldn't be the last, but there's something about them that puts the Shadow on edge. They didn't have any real power now, but it was just under the surface, begging to be tapped into. "How do you think we came here?"

"Who cares?!" The youngest boy, Rumpelstiltskin, clutches a straw doll to his chest, moving to walk along the path towards the beach with his older friend following behind him. Rumple's dark hair stops close to his ears, a dark brown with a wavy look to it that most girls would kill for, though not particularly handsome, he still had years yet before he had to worry about looks. His companion, a ten year old if the Shadow had to guess, was short for his age with high cheekbones and an agile build. He would be a womanizer when he grew up, women would flock to him in waves. "Thomas!"

Rumple ran straight for the water, careful to keep his doll above his head and oblivious the young Indian girl watching them from a few feet away. Shadow watches Tiger Lilly thoughtfully, wondering if she would react the way it knew others would. Thomas grins, noticing the girl and waving to her only to see her run into the forest. She would alert the tribe that new boys were here, but by the time the Elder and his warriors arrived, Shadow had already sent the boys back to the orphanage.

**Enchanted Forest**

Mulan opens a trunk, revealing a cache of different types of weapons. Feeling cranky after spending the night on the hard ground, I hold out my hand and use the link forged between Excalibur and I to make the sword fly out of its spot in the trunk and into the sheath on my hip. "Seriously," Emma asks with raised brows," you couldn't just reach in and grab it?" I shrug, seeing nothing wrong with using magic. Emma shakes her head and rolls her eyes before looking at Mulan. "Where's my gun? I want it back." Mulan pulls the pistol out of her belt, looking at it like it was a snake that would bite.

"Is it magic," she inquires.

"Depends on who's pulling the trigger." She hands it to the blonde, curious now. She's probably wondering how someone can control magic by squeezing the trigger of such a small device. Snow picks out a sword and a bow and arrow while Mulan starts spitting out rules.

"Follow my lead, step exactly where I step. Do exactly as I say and we might survive."

"Thanks for the pep talk, but I think we're okay. I killed a dragon last week." That sparks my interest, remembering the witch Papa took me to visit years ago that could turn into a dragon at will. Had Regina brought her along to Storybrooke? Surely she wasn't that stupid, even in a land without magic it would be hard to control someone whose brain is like a bag full of cats. Then again, it is Regina we're talking about and she isn't the sanest one of our bunch.

"Have you ever seen an Ogre?"

"I have," I nod, gaining the three womens' attention. "I was only seven, but I don't think I could ever forget that ugly brute." I shiver at the memory, wishing I could just forget it once and for all. It's no wonder I was never able to sit through Shrek without getting nauseous. "Trust me, even Donkey would run from them." Emma raises her brows at that, watching as Mulan heads off in the direction we need to go with me right behind her. If things go horribly wrong and an Ogre attacks, I'm ducking behind her and playing the damsel in distress card.

* * *

"This will do," Mulan states a few hours later when we walk into a clearing," we'll make camp here for the night. We just need to find water and collect firewood." I sigh in relief, collapsing on the ground and tugging my converses off to rub my feet. I'm not used to walking like this, usually Papa would poof us wherever we were going or we'd take a carriage, but he never made me walk so far.

"Uh, wouldn't it make more sense not to start a fire if we're hiding from Ogres," Emma asks, sounding like a know-it-all that doesn't really know anything.

"Ogres hunt by sound," Mary-Margret informs her.

"Right, because that's something everyone would know about Ogres." I roll my eyes, putting my shoes back on and lacing them tightly for what little support they could give me while Emma and Mary-Margret have a mother-daughter talk. I frown, realizing I'd never had a mother-daughter talk before; sure, Trista and Belle would talk to me, but it wasn't the same. The warm fuzzy feeling wasn't there and neither was the feeling like they actually wanted to be in the castle. Papa said that I look nothing like my mother and he has no pictures around of her, so the closest I can come to getting a description is the drawing of my older brother that Papa keeps around. When I look up again, it's just Emma and me in the clearing, the older woman looking put out.

"Don't feel bad, I don't know much about this land either and I lived here for seventeen years," I tell her, looking up at the blonde from my spot on the ground.

"How is that possible?"

"People that want to hurt my papa tend to aim at me." I shrug it off, wrapping my arms around my knees as the cold begins to set in. When we were walking I was fine, the movement kept me warm, but now that I'm sitting still I can already feel my body turning into a Popsicle. I wiggle my toes, wishing I had worn my fuzzy Jungle Book socks that I kept stashed away for winter. It's colder here than in the other land, my light sweater not helping any. "I don't suppose you have an extra pair of socks in one of your pockets?"

"Sorry, fresh out."

"Just my luck." As dark begins to fall Emma begins to pace back and forth, reminding me of Fidget when the weather's about to get bad. "Would you sit still, you're making me antsy." She ignores me and continues to pace. "For God's sakes, woman!" I throw my hands up in the air, walking over to the blonde and dragging her with me out of the clearing.

"Where are we going?"

"To find your damn momma so you'll stop the pacing!" It doesn't take us long to find the others, Mulan in the process of pulling Mary-Margret off some chick with long brown hair and a ratty cloak. She must be from the compound. I guess it was out of instinct that Emma draws her pistol and fires a warning shot in the air before aiming it at Mulan and the new-comer, but it was one of the dumbest things she could have done. I flinch away from the loud noise, stumbling in the dark but not falling.

"You stupid bitch," I hiss, glaring at the blonde along with the others," you've just screwed us over!" An echoing growl behind me draws my attention, the noise familiar and making me sprint to hide in the woods with the others quickly joining me. The Ogre is loud as it follows after us, knocking trees out if its way.  _Please don't draw more Ogres our way_! That thought spurs me to draw Excalibur out of its sheath, the sound of metal against wood and the comfortable weight in my hand helping to steady my nerves a little.  _Don't fail me now that I really need you_.

"Split up," Mary-Margret shouts, catching up to me and grabbing my arm. I may be the daughter of her enemy, but I'm also one of the few people Henry trusted. Mary-Margret leads Emma and me through more trees into another clearing, letting go of my arm when she was sure that I wouldn't try to take off in a different direction. We're forced to stop when Emma trips and the Ogre bursts through the trees. Let me tell ya, seeing an ugly creature like that wearing what basically adds up to a loin cloth was not on my bucket list.

"Don't move," I mouth to Emma, holding up my free hand. She does exactly the opposite when it kneels down in front of her, picking up her gun only to have the Ogre grab it out of her hand and squish it. "I'm so gonna regret this later." Moving slowly to get on the opposite side of Emma a few feet away, I cup my hands around my mouth. "Hey, stupid, think you could knock yourself out like your cousin did in Harry Potter?!" Okay, so it was a troll that got knocked out, but the taunt gets the reaction I needed as the monster turns to face me, pale flesh almost glowing in the moonlight. It growls at me, the stench from his mouth enough to make my stomach do a flip. "Oh, go buy a toothbrush before you growl at people!" Mary-Margret gains its attention next with a whistle.

"Stay away from my daughter!"  _Well, I love you too_ , I think sarcastically. She notches an arrow, bringing it up so that when she shot it, it would go straight into the Ogre's eyes, bringing the big guy down with a crash. I stare wide-eyed at it for a moment, shaking from fear and adrenaline. This isn't something you survive every day and I like to think I now have bragging rights. Taking a steadying breath and sheathing my sword, I walk over to the teacher behind Emma.

"When was the last time you shot an arrow," Emma asks in shock.

"Twenty-eight years ago—guess it's like riding a bike," Mary-Margret responds, replacing the arrow back in the quiver strung across her back.

"How did you know you could hit that?"

"I didn't." She and Emma share a look, Mary-Margret giving her daughter a sad smile. "Next time listen to me; that kind of thing isn't going to work here." I swallow hard, realizing that the teacher did what she did to protect her daughter, not me. I have no one here that actually gives a damn about me. Fighting back tears, I follow the other two through the woods to find Mulan and Crazy Chick.  _I just want my Papa back_.

**Storybrooke**

Rumple looks down at the old parchment map spread out on his desk, watching the faint purple dot slowly moving across the faded surface. That's all he has left of his daughter, nothing more than a purple dot on a map that he couldn't touch….He couldn't comfort. It's clear where she's headed—Snow White and Prince Charming's palace—the complete opposite of Rumple's castle and anything that could help Morgan get back to him. He supposes that she may use the wardrobe if the curse hadn't destroyed it, but he saw no use in getting his hopes up. The necklace allowed him to watch her progress, but that just makes him more desperate to have her back, safe, in his arms where she belongs.

"Is…Is that Aveena," Belle asks hesitantly, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Yes," he nods. Silence falls and it's not until hours later that the silence was there because she had gone to bed and the dot was no longer moving. Either Morgan was sleeping as well or she would never move again. "Come back to me, my little bird."


	16. Chapter 16

**~::For Mommy** **::~**

**Storybrooke—Seven Years Ago**

A squeal meets Morgan at the front door, preceding a very hyped up three year old with a Spider-Man backpack on his shoulders. She giggles, picking him up and spinning him in a circle. Henry's dark hair is spiked up with hair gel so as to keep it out of his face and he's dressed in a button down shirt and dress pants; obviously his mother wanted him to make a good impression today. "Good morning, Morgan," the mayor greets with a tiny smile of her own, picking her purse up off the table in the entryway. "Are you ready for your first day of school?"

"I guess," Morgan shrugs, setting little Henry down so she could readjust her messenger bag. "Its school, the only people excited about it is the little kids and the parents that ditch the kids." Regina laughs, walking over to smooth out the dark blue plaid skirt of Morgan's uniform. "The worst part of it all is the dumb uniform, I look stupid in blue."

"You look just fine." Morgan rolls her eyes, taking Henry's lunch box from Regina and the toddler's hand. Regina kneels down in front of her son, pulling him into a tight hug. "Be good for your teachers and don't give Morgan too much trouble on the way to the bus stop."

"'Kay, Mommy," he beams, showing off perfectly white teeth. "Come on, Mo!"

"Have a good day!" Regina stands in the doorway of her house, watching Henry drag Morgan down the driveway with a fond smile. She was growing attached to the teen and she wished that she wasn't. Perhaps, if the curse was ever broken, she would force Morgan to stay. She's surprisingly good with children, being one of the few that could stop Henry's tantrums with a single look. Yes, Regina decides, Morgan could be handy in more ways than just Rumpelstiltskin's weakness.

**Enchanted Forest**

It's a good thing we have fire in this world or I'd be running face first into trees since it gets dark fast here during the winter months and my glasses are broken. Hours back, Mulan and Mary-Margret had fashioned us some torches out of the firewood Mary-Margret collected, using my magic to set the tops on fire. The Ogre incident put everyone on edge and made a tense situation worse; I still catch Aurora, the crazy chick, sending hostile glances at my travel buddies and me periodically. "We're getting close." Mary-Margret's words bring me back to the real world, all fantasies of hot chocolate and feasts dashed away, replaced by cold winds and the forest. Aurora falls behind, her cloak getting snagged on yet another tree root.

"Aurora," Mulan instructs," you've got to keep up."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not exactly dressed for the woods," the mousy brunette apologizes. "It's cold out here."

"Maybe you should have stayed at the compound like a good little ditz," I snarl, sick of her complaining. ' _I'm a princess', 'don't walk so fast'. If she doesn't shut up soon I might snap and 'accidentally' turn her into a frog!_ We stop at the top of a hill that overlooks a lake and the ruined shell of a castle. So that's where Snow White lived? Huh, I always thought it would look different. "That's not what I pictured."

"What did you see," Snow asks me with a gentle smile.

"Papa's was always dark, but the grounds, even during winter, stayed nice and green. Sometimes I'd stay outside all day with Trista and play or recline on a tree branch with a good book and my kitten."

"I thought you were a court minstrel," Mulan questions.

"I am as far as you'll ever know." With a sigh, I start down towards our goal, summoning a small orb of magic to light the overgrown path. The longer I'm in this land, the more magic I'm able to absorb—my powers strengthening so that I can use magic at will now without really concentrating. The others follow behind me, their conversations kept quiet so that all I can make out are a few words every now and then. Who cares, I don't like Mulan or Aurora and I shouldn't get close to Snow or Emma. I just need to focus on getting home back to my papa and the people that give a damn about me. I wonder what Papa's doing right now.

"Maybe I should lead form here," Snow says, walking beside me," you don't know how to get into the castle." Nodding, I fall into step behind the Princess with my hands stuffed in my pockets. "Are you okay, Morgan? You don't look so hot."

"I'm fine, just a little homesick." She bites her lip, but continues to walk and drops the subject. I shiver again, looking around me at the others. They avoid my stare, either looking at the path or the sky. Did Snow tell them who I really am? If she did I might have to watch my own back because Mulan seems like the type of woman that could take me out without a second thought if she considers me a threat. "It's still here," I mumble to no one in particular as twenty minutes later found us safely inside the castle and on our way to the nursery where the wardrobe would be—the walls have crumbled over the years, vines and nature taking charge. Is this how Papa's castle looks? Emma raises a brow at my words, still out of tune with the magic surrounding us. "The wardrobe—the magic of it, at least—it's still here."

"I'll take your word for it, kid," the blonde shrugs. "Is it normal around here for people to be able to sense magic?"

"Not necessarily, I grew up around it so I can tell if I'm close to some types. The bad magic feels normal, but the good magic stands out easily. Your wardrobe is made of good magic." Snow opens the door to the nursery, that room being just as beat up as the rest of the place. All of the furniture has been turned onto its side and tossed around the room, looking as though a small tornado had torn it all apart. "Why does this look familiar in a creepy, not Déjà Vu way?"

"Henry's book," Emma reminds me, walking inside.

"Oh yeah, that's where I've seen it." Emma moves straight to the wardrobe, laying her hand on it while I move to the window that overlooks the lake. It would be a beautiful view on lazy summer afternoons, just sitting down and watching the sunset as it sets the lake on fire with pinks and oranges.

"We'll stand watch at the gate," Mulan states, dragging Aurora out of the room. I stay where I'm at, ignoring the ever-present tug of magic as I watch the moon's reflection waver with the wind. Its light shines down brightly, sucking out the vibrant colors and turning everything a cool shade of blue. I would have killed for a view like this when I was younger for the simple reason of having something beautiful to look at when I was sad or lonely.

"I never thought I'd see this place again." I look over at Mary-Margret, watching her pick up a teddy bear off the floor. I had a thousand teddy bears, but I always felt safer snuggling up next to Papa when I fell asleep. "This room—it was your nursery."

"I lived here," Emma asks, looking like she was having trouble processing everything. I suppose I can't blame her, she was raised to believe places like this weren't real and yet here she is, thrust right into a fairy-tale land. 

"You never even got to spend a night." I lower my head, biting my lip as I tried to tune out their private conversation. Maybe I should've just gone with the warrior women to guard the gate. I bet it would be less awkward than feeling like an intruder. Did I have a nursery at the castle? If I did, then Papa threw all my old things out as I got older. Maybe they just disappeared, magic objects seem to do that a lot around here. "Morgan." I jump when Snow calls my name, waving me over to where she and Emma are standing in front of the wardrobe. "You were raised around magic."

"I can't charge this thing on my own," I inform her, running my hand down the front and wincing as the magic tries to move into my hand. "Maybe someone on the island can help us, but we have to find some way to get it there."

"Maybe I can help," a deep male voice says from behind us. Lancelot enters the nursery, a big grin on his face. Something's not right here—Lancelot may come from a land with magic, but he's not supposed to have control over any, and I can feel it coming off him in waves. At Snow's inquiry of what he's doing here Lancelot explains that chivalry isn't dead and he wanted to make sure we were okay after the Ogre attack.

"Where's Tweedledee and Tweedledum," I ask, crossing my arms.

"I sent them to find food, thought we could camp out here tonight, and in the morning we'll head back. So, this is it, the portal you were after."

"Uh-huh, it's the one that let blondie over here escape the curse." Emma and Snow frown at me, not yet realizing that this guy isn't who he says he is. "Why do you care about the wardrobe?"

"I just want to get you guys back to your families—I'm sure Emma's son Henry must be missing her." I can see something change in Snow's face as she turns to give her daughter and me a smile. She knows. At the same moment, Snow and I unsheathe our swords, pointing them at the armored man and pushing Emma behind us. She won't be of any use in this fight.

"What the hell," Emma gasps, looking at all of us like we lost our minds.

"There's only one person you told Henry's name," Snow hints.

"Stop with the theatrics, Cora," I sneer," I could sense you were wrong the moment you stepped inside." Dark blue smoke surrounds the man and when it dissipates Cora is left standing in front of us.

"Clever girls," she smiles, hands on her hips. Now I know where Regina gets her looks from, this lady could pass for an older sister.

"Where's Lancelot," Snow questions. Isn't it obvious?

"He's dead. I killed him a long time ago."

"And you've been posing as him ever since."

"When a wolf wants a sheep for dinner it takes on its disguise," I say softly, remembering the words Papa told me when I was ten. "All the sheep flock to it while it plots what sides it should have to go with the meat."

"I've heard that saying before…" Cora's eyes widen a fraction and she gets a smug look on her face. "You must be the treasure he stole." I lunge forward, planing to run her through, but she calls on her magic to throw me across the room. My body is slammed against the hard stone wall, the air forced out of my lungs and leaving me gasping on the floor, clutching my midsection. "I have to thank you, Snow. I've been looking for a way over for so long, but I never thought the person to help me find it would be you."

I cough, sucking desperately for any air that I can get until I'm breathing normally again—lightheaded, but no worse for wear. I look up again in time to see Mulan jump in front of Emma, her sword blocking the ball of fire Cora had thrown. "We're not done," she promises, using magic to disappear.

"So much for using the portal," I remark, watching as the fire burns through the wood and destroys most of the magic. A few sparks of it land at my feet.

"How could I be so blind," Mulan asks, pacing in front of us. "How could I not see that it was Cora?"

"If it makes you feel any better, the only reason I knew was because ol' Lance didn't have a magical bone in his body and Cora was getting more powerful by the day."

"What are we going to tell the people on the island?"

"The truth," Snow states firmly," that Lancelot was cut down by a terrible villain. He died an honorable death." Maybe you could put that on a cake, cake makes everybody happy.

"Cora's still out there; we need to find her. We need to defend what's left of the kingdom."

"Are you going to lead them into battle," Aurora asks.

"No…" Mulan turns and nods at Snow. "She is."

"I'm honored, but Emma, Morgan, and I still have to find a way back to Storybrooke," Snow says.

"We'll help you, we'll find a way, won't we?"

"Yes," Aurora agrees. I raise an eyebrow at that, not sure that I would trust her with my cat let alone my life. "Perhaps it'll help me channel my anger."

"That's very moving," I quip," but can we get going and find a non-magical fire? My toes could pass as a frozen TV dinner at this point." Mulan smiles, nodding her head at the door and leading the way out. I couldn't help but think to what Cora said before I was thrown, about me being a stolen treasure. I couldn't make the thought go away, every time I tried another seemed to wiggle its way to the front—years ago Regina had said something just as troubling about knowing who my real father is.

**Storybrooke—Seven years ago**

Henry runs up the driveway towards the front door where his mom was waiting to scoop him up in her arms, Morgan trailing a few feet behind him with both of their backpacks and Henry's lunchbox. "How was your first day," she asks with a smile, carrying her son inside to the kitchen where she had a snack waiting.

"Gweat," the three year old shouts, bouncing when Regina sits him in his booster seat. "Mo-mo ated lunch wif me an' evwy fing!"

"She did? And did you have a good day, Morgan?"

"I think one of my teachers is out to get me," the teen grumbles, sitting at the table beside the little boy and taking a plate of snicker doodles from Regina. "The only bright spot was leaving."

"My bag, Mo-mo," Henry shouts around a mouthful of cookie. "Sow her!" Morgan heaves a sigh, pulling out what looks like a hunk of dried red clay out of Henry's small bag and handing it to Regina. The woman is brought to tears as she looks at it. On the front is Henry's handprint with a small note carved beside it proclaiming in his childish scribble:  _For Mommy_.


	17. Chapter 17

**~::T** **he Next Best Thing** **::~**

**Enchanted Forest** **—** **Past**

"Bae, Milah," Rumple calls out, pushing the door to his small home open with his walking staff," I'm home." He pushes the door shut behind him, his hands full with a basket from the market and his staff. He finds Bae sitting alone in the next room, Milah nowhere to be seen. "Bae?"

"Papa?" The little boy looks up at his father, glad to have someone else home so that he wasn't alone anymore.

"Where's mom?" Bae shrugs, looking at his father as though he should know the answer to that. "Well, she probably just….Lost track of time."  _Or was too drunk to make it home alone_. Rumple pushes that thought away, gesturing for Bae to stand up. "Grab you cloak." Bae does just that, walking close to his father as they leave their home. "We'll find her." It won't be hard, when she's not here she's at the tavern. Just as he'd thought, he found his wife sitting at a table surrounded by men, downing another drink in one gulp. "Milah," he calls, waiting for the beauty to look at him. "It's time to go." Milah stays where she is, pouring another drink.

"Good," she smiles," so go."

"Who's this," a handsome man sitting across from her asks, making Rumple feel self-conscious. He knew he wasn't the most handsome man in the village, that Milah married him because of how kind he was. He holds tighter to his staff, a deep sadness settling into his bones.

"Ah, it's no one. It's just my husband."

"Oh," the man nods with a grin. "Well, he's a tad taller than you described." That comment has the men at the table laughing, sending Rumple amused looks over the rims of their cups.

"Please," Rumple tries again," you have responsibilities."

"You mean like being a man and fighting in the Ogre wars," Milah questions. "Other wives became honored widows while I became lashed to the village coward. I need a break. Run home, Rumple, it's what you're good at." Rumple flinches under the harsh words, wishing she could just see that he did what he did so he could come home to them and his son could have a father.

"Mama," a small voice asks, gaining everyone's attention.

"Bae." Rumple turns, pulling his son forward and wrapping a protective arm around his shoulders. "I told you to stay outside, son." Milah stands quickly, any trace of amusement wiped away as she leads her child out of the tavern. The guilt would set in soon, the need for a drink following after that, and then the need to escape.

Later that night finds Milah lying in bed while Rumple poured a cup of tea. "You don't  _really_  wish I'd died during the Ogre wars, do you," he asks. Milah refuses to look him directly in the eye as she thought about her answer before replying.

"I wish you'd fought. Don't you?" He stands with the help of his staff, walking over to his wife. "Well, I-I am alive and I'm here with you, with Bae." He sits next to here on the bed, the hot liquid warming the cup and the hand that held it.

"This isn't a life, not for me. Why can't we just leave?"

"W-We've talked about that."

"You don't have to be the village coward. We could start again, go somewhere no one knows us, see…The whole world beyond this village." Rumple knew this is what she truly wanted, but they simply didn't have the money to do that.

"I know this wasn't the life you wanted…." He stands again and moves to sit at the table. "But it-it can be good. Here. At least try, if not for me, then….For Bae."

"Okay," she agrees, a plan of escape already forming in her mind," I'll try.

**Storybrooke**

Rumple sighs for the thousandth time since he laid down in his bed, staring up at the ceiling as if trying to find the answer to his question. Belle shifts beside him, turning onto her side with one arm wrapped around her pillow. He should feel happy right now: the curse is finally broken and he has Belle back at his side where she belongs, but everything else seems to be going completely pear shaped! Morgan is gone, he's no closer to finding Bae, and the idiots in this town are going to drive him up the wall. Resigned that he would be getting no sleep tonight, he rolls out of bed and dresses in one of his suits before going to the basement, content to spin his troubles away.

He gets all his best ideas while turning straw into gold and maybe this time he'll come up with a way to cross the town line and at least get one of his children back. He would cash in his favor with Miss Swan and they would go wherever Bae was hiding. The basement of his house is a bit damp and crowded with several things from the other land, including the supplies he needs to make potions. As the wooden bowl at his feet fills with gold string, he's still no closer to solving his problems than he was before he started. With a hopeful look, he cuts off a bit of the gold and drops into a vile of purple liquid, watch as the magic takes over and turns the liquid into a glittering gaseous form. He stoppers it so that it doesn't escape, not entirely sure what he would do with the potion now that he had it.

His phone beeps, signaling a text message.  _Who texts this early in the morning_? He grabs the phone impatiently and what he finds is enough to let him breathe a little easier. It's a message from Morgan's phone, a bit jumbled but still readable.  **Hey, Papa, working on plan…Cat videos... WiFi….Love….**

**Enchanted Forest**

I ignore the weird looks from the people around me, watching the tiny screen while chewing on my thumb nail. Withdrawals are killing me, I need caffeine, I need anime, and I need them  _now!_  "How do you even have WiFi," Emma finally asks, looking over my shoulder to see the video playing on my phone. "And what the hell are you watching?"

"I have magic," I state in a tone that suggests she should have already known," what else would I waste it on? As for your other question, I'm watching Vic Mignogna sing Let It Go." Mary-Margret pinches the bridge of her nose in irritation.

"Can't you use your magic to make a phone call instead of draining your battery for YouTube videos," she asks.

"I don't have enough mojo to make a call work and this is the next best thing." I snuggle down further on my pallet by the fire, the phone screen held close to my face so I can make everything out. I lost my glasses completely a few hours ago and now I'm walking almost blind.

"Seriously, not even a text message?"

"I sent one before I lost my glasses, it drained me a lot more than these videos do and I don't even know if it got through or not. Now shut up and let me watch this in peace!" The women snap their mouths shut with a little help from my magic, letting me enjoy some peace and quiet. That's better!


	18. Chapter 18

**~::Sweet Pea** **::~**

**Dark Castle**

Rumple is furious, not only has Aveena been crying for over an hour and her room messy, but the so-called nursemaid is nowhere to be found. He rounds the corner, heading straight to the spinning room doors, stopping for a moment when he realized that he could no longer hear Aveena's cries and the doors were standing wide open. Moving quietly, he can just make out quiet voices; both are women, he was certain of that much. Peeking through the crack between the door and the wall, his golden eyes widen considerably. His old pupil and his soon-to-be-dead nursemaid were arguing over something, Regina's expression one that would have had a lesser person on their knees and begging for forgiveness. Trista is close to that point, tears in her eyes spilling over and running down her cheeks.

"Please, Highness," the dark-skinned woman begs," she is just a child, what use would she be to you?"

"Maybe I'll let you live long enough to find out after you bring her to...Me." she trails off, looking around the room suspiciously. "You have three weeks, Trista, after that I'm killing you and taking the child." Then Regina disappears, leaving a small trace of magic behind. Rumple doesn't give the traitor a second to relax, storming into the room and striking her across the face.

"Did you think I wouldn't know," he snarls, picking her up by her hair. "Did you think that I would ever let you give that child to Regina?" Trista is full out sobbing now, unable to speak due to her crying. "Let me show you what I did to the last woman to betray me." The thought of Milah spurs on his anger, driving him to thrust his hand into her chest and latch onto her heart.

"Papa," a soft voice calls," you doin'?"

**Enchanted Forest**

"I don't know if I can do this, I'm not a very good liar," Aurora says as we approach the compound.

"It's not really a lie," Snow tells her comfortingly," Lancelot  _did_ die an honorable death and Cora  _did_ escape—all true. Just, leave the particulars to us." Snow turns and gives me a sad smile, taking in my crushed expression. "And you can have your phone back when you learn not to watch cat videos until two in the morning. I bet your phone still has battery left since we made you turn it off." Last night Snow and Emma had forced me to turn off my phone and put it back where I had it, interrupting the third cat video of the evening. Now it's hidden in my bra in case something happens and we're searched. I doubt anyone in this land would stick their hand down my shirt, so it should be safe. I lower my gaze to the uneven ground, struggling with walking and not running into a tree since I can't see very well. The world has gone blurry and the group have started to take turns at keeping me on the path. 

"Wait," Mulan instructs, coming to a stop at the tree line and forcing us to stop as well. "The tower; we always have sentries guarding the entrance. Stay close." I draw Excalibur out of its sheath, wondering if I could actually be of any use or if I should just hope that whatever threat we face is as blind as I am. The camp is destroyed—bodies are lying all over, most of the structures smoking or still on fire. There are gaping wounds in the refugees' chests and I know without a close examination that their hearts are missing because this is how a trademark few kill.

"Oh no," I moan, clutching my middle and backing up a couple of steps. "I'd say they know about Cora." The scene is achingly familiar, reminding me of the time I walked in on Papa with his hand in Trista's chest. My stomach does a little flip, the small breakfast from earlier making a guest appearance.

"Our land was protected! How did the Ogres find it?" Mulan is panicking, missing the details of the deaths.

"If this is Ogres, then Captain Hook is my dad." My sarcasm earns me a glare from Snow. "Everyone's thinking it, I'm just saying it." I pause a second, realizing that I was quoting Gibbs from Pirates of the Caribbean. Smirking I add the last bit under my breath," Pirates." Emma snorts a little, overhearing me and understanding the quote. Yay for me, I'm not the only dork in the group. I clear my throat awkwardly when I notice that Snow is still glaring at me. "Unless their hearts learned how to jump out on their own, Cora killed all of these people."

"We have to stop her before she has the chance to hurt other people," Snow says, taking on an authoritative tone. Did she learn that back in her palace days? Mulan opens her mouth to respond, but is cut off by Emma calling everyone's attention to a hand moving around in the air.

"There's someone under there," Aurora shouts, all of us moving to join Emma in shoving the dead body off the person underneath. "He's alive."

"Please," the person, a man, begs, letting us drag him out into the open. Most would call him handsome I suppose, with a strong jaw, beautiful blue eyes, and a bit of stubble, but there's something familiar about him. Have I seen him before? I guess it's not out of the question since Papa was contacted by several people. He's dressed is bulky clothes that have seen better days, dirt smeared on his forehead above his right eye. "Please, don't hurt me."

"It's okay," Snow tells him soothingly," you're safe now, we won't hurt you."

"Thank you….Thank you." There's something about his eyes….If I could just figure out what it is I might have the puzzle solved. Where have I seen those eyes before? There are several rings on his fingers, leading me to believe he might have been well off before the curse—a wealthy merchant maybe? The man's panicked gaze lands on me and I get the sense that he's a very good actor. His breaths come out as gasps, but those eyes are calm and calculating.

"Morgan, help me get him to one of the tables," Emma says. I give a sigh, moving to the man's other side and wrapping one of his strong arms around my shoulders with one of my arms around his waist, grunting as Emma and I haul him to his feet. The arm around my shoulders ends in a stump, making me wonder how he lost his hand. God, this guy even smells familiar! There was a mixture of leather and something sweet. I take a deep breathe, breathing in the scent and feeling tears stinging my eyes. Why the hell would it make me cry?

"Are you okay," the man asks as he sits down. "You look a bit faint." His voice shakes, but is still smooth and deep. I can easily imagine him singing soft lullabies or shouting out orders meant to be followed to the letter.

"I'm fine," I answer, backing away quickly and accidentally running into Aurora. "Excuse me, I need to get some air."

"But, we're outside already." I ignore him, walking quickly towards one of the buildings that didn't look too badly burned. I find a nice dark corner inside and curl into a ball, closing my eyes and concentrating on the sweet smell. What is it? What is it? What is it? Sweet Pea—that's what it is! But why would that cause such a reaction in me, I only smell it when….Wait, we don't have any of those flowers in Storybrooke…. What the hell is up with me today?

"Hey, we're gonna question him." I give Snow a nod, standing up and wrapping my arms around myself. "Are you sure you're okay, Morgan?" And there's her concerned teacher side making its grand entrance.

"Why should you care," I ask a bit harsher than I meant to," after all, I'm just Rumpelstiltskin's daughter."

"Okay, what is that supposed to mean?"

"Ever since you remembered who I was, you've been pretty bitchy. Stow away anything you think you know about me, you don't know jack shit—I'm not a monster like people think and neither is my papa!" Sending her one last glare, I march over to the others. The interrogation has already begun and I stand next to the Princess as Emma continues to talk with only a single look in my direction.

"An island full of corpses. You're the only one to escape. How exactly did that happen?" His left ear is pierced, the earring moving whenever he does. His short dark hair is tousled and the pitiful expression on his face is enough to make some part buried deep inside me ache to comfort him and tell him everything's going to be alright.

"She attacked at night," he explains," slaughtered everyone in one fell swoop. When she started ripping out people's hearts I hid under the bodies of those who had already been killed. Pretended to be dead myself." He clutched his cup tightly, small tremors in his hand making the cup shake as well. "Mercifully, the ruse worked." Why does his speech seem like he practiced it in front of the mirror?

"So much for fortune favoring the brave."

"It was all I could do to survive." Emma sits on the bench, looking the man directly in the eye. Is this her truth-finding thing that Henry told me about?

"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. I'm pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to me."

"I'm telling you the truth."  _Yeah, and the jock always survives in a horror movie_ , I think to myself with a roll of my eyes.

"We should leave here in case Cora decides to come back," Mulan interrupts and Emma leans back so she's no longer in the man's face.

"We should start searching for a new portal back to Storybrooke," Snow adds. "I only got about five minutes with my husband, not to mention my grandson."

"You have a grandson," the man asks with a smile.

"I spent less time than that with my papa," I grumble, barely catching the man's sour expression. He hides it quickly, changing back to that of a relieved survivor instead of unhappy hitchhiker. What's his deal? Emma moves around to stand behind the man, slowly and discreetly maneuvering until she has a wickedly sharp knife out. Looks like the shit's about to hit the fan.

"I know these lands well, I could guide you—"

"You're not gonna guide us anywhere until you tell us who you really are," Emma states, yanking his head back with a fistful of hair and the knife pressed against his throat.


	19. Chapter 19

**~::Pirates of the Caribbean** **::~**

**Jolly Roger—Past**

Killian paces back and forth outside the door of his cabin, chewing on his thumbnail—a nervous habit he guess he hadn't kicked all those years ago after all. A gut-wrenching scream makes him flinch, another wave of guilt crashing into him. It's partly his fault about what's going on behind that door and he feels like the scum of the earth for making Milah go through that pain. "Ahh!"

"Mister Smee-"

"On it, Captain." The portly man hurries to bring him his flask, already half empty and it's only been a few hours since all of this mess started. "Are you….Are you sure that the Bosun knows what he's doing?"

"Aye, he did this several times before he joined my crew." Another scream sets him to pacing once more, the only thing keeping him from marching into his cabin is the fact that he would be of no use. Hours and three more flasks of rum later finds Killian leaning against the railing questioning his life choices and whether or not he should drink some more.

"Captain," comes the Bosun's deep voice," it is finished." Waiting inside his cabin is a sight he would ever tire of. Milah lays in their bed, her hair plastered to her face and a newborn baby sleeping in her arms. "You have a daughter."

**Storybrooke**

Gold was polishing the Holy Grail when he got the message from his daughter, expecting something along the lines of a quick I love you, not what she actually sent. The picture that showed up on his phone was almost enough to make him throw it across the store, breakables be damned, but he would chance ruining his phone if he did that. Killian Jones looks up at him from the picture, a befuddled expression on his face. The only bit of happiness Gold received from the picture is that Aveena doesn't know who he is yet, but he has no doubt that Killian would regale her with the tale if he got the chance.  **Kill him, he's dangerous and is not to be trifled with!** That should do the trick, Aveena is usually good about following orders.

He sets the phone down on the counter, not noticing until it's too late that Belle has joined him at the counter and is looking down at the picture. "That's the man that attacked me back in our land," she gasps. "Who is he?"

"Morgan's father."

**Enchanted Forest**

I watch as Mulan puts the finishing touches on tying the man to a tree. "I already told you," he pleads," I'm just a blacksmith." I had sent a picture of him to my papa some time ago to see if he recognized him and got a speedy reply that set me on edge. If this guy makes my papa, who's usually in tight control of his emotions, sends me a text that says to get as far away from the guy as possible or kill him, then I kind of want to listen.

"Sure you are," Emma remarks sarcastically, bringing two fingers up to her mouth and letting out a sharp whistle. She's so lucky, I couldn't whistle like that to save my life. A loud growl answers the noise in the distance, the Ogres already beginning the long trek to their meal. They'll have an easy one today, all trussed up with nowhere to run. "You don't want to talk to us? Maybe you'll talk to the Ogres while they rip you limb from limb." Snow looks unsettled about the whole ordeal and I can't say I blame her, but I keep my mouth shut. Emma does this type of thing for a living, so maybe she won't screw us over too badly in the long run. The footsteps of the Ogres make the ground shake slightly. "Come on."

"What? Yo-you can't just leave me here like this!" Now that fear is genuine.

"What if he's telling the truth," Aurora asks.

"He's  _not_ ," Emma responds quickly. We only get a few more feet when the guy breaks down, his innocent façade fading to reveal the bastard underneath.

"Good for you," he utters in a slightly higher pitch than normal, chuckling nervously. "You bested me. I can count the amount of people who've done that on one hand." I raise a brow, looking down at the stump of his left hand. "You know what I mean."

"Who are you?"

"Killian Jones, but most people have taken to call me by my more colorful moniker—Hook."

"Hook," Snow repeats, her eyes narrowing. Am I missing something here? I thought he was supposed to be weird looking guy with a perm and a huge nose.

"Check my satchel." Snow does just that while Emma continues to talk.

"As in Captain Hook?"

"Ah, so you've heard of me?" I roll my eyes, watching as Snow pulls out a shiny hook attachment meant to cover the stump. Well I'll be damned, it really is him. The growling grows louder the closer the Ogres get and I start shaking. They wouldn't hesitate to tear me to pieces and I don't plan on being some Ogre's happy meal, so they better get to moving things along.

"You better hurry up. They're getting closer." Hook has a stubborn set to his jaw, like he doesn't want to let something slip he's not supposed to. "So unless you wanna be dinner you better start talking." He chuckles, straining against the coarse ropes keeping him in place.

"Cora wanted me to gain your trust, so I could learn everything there is to know about your Storybrooke. She didn't want any surprises when she finally got over there."

"She can't get there, we destroyed the wardrobe," Snow points out.

"Ah, but the enchantment remains." He's smug now and it really makes me tempted to sock him in the face. "Cora gathered the ashes; she's gonna use them to open a portal." Growling sounds again, closer still. I wince, my hand going to rest on Excalibur's hilt. "Now if you'll kindly cut me loose."

"No," Mulan disagrees, her sword at the ready as she looks around. "We should leave him to die to pay for all the lives that he took."

"That was Cora, not me."

"You stood back and let it happen," I point out with the same coldness I show to all pirates. One of them stole my mother away and killed her, so why should I trust them? I turn my back on him, the others doing the same as we try to walk away from him.

"Wait. Wait!" We stop, facing him again. "You need me alive."

"And why is that, I wonder?"

"Because we both want the same thing—to get back to your land." Emma moves to stand in front of him, daring him to lie to her again.

"Why should we believe you now," she asks.

"I arranged for transport with Cora,  _but_  seeing how resourceful  _you_  are, I'll offer you the same deal—I'll help you if you promise to take me along."

"Okay," I say as I hold up a hand, shaking my head with a disbelieving look. "Tell me why bringing the guy meant to trick us along with us is a good plan? Even if you do have some sort of secret mumbo jumbo, why should we trust you not to hand us over to Cora in the long run of things? Magic is what makes this world go round, buckaroo, and you ain't got diddly shit." His eyes narrow slightly as he looks at me, as though I was a puzzle he was trying to figure out.

"The ashes will open a portal, but to find your land, she needs more. There's an enchanted compass; Cora seeks it. I'll help you obtain it before she does."

"Cora won't make it there and I'll be one step closer to being back with my papa." The sour look appears again, not disappearing quite as quickly as the last time. Seriously, do I look so much like a little orphan Annie that he can't believe I have a father? "How do we know you're not making it all up? I mean, it sounds a little too much like Pirates of the Caribbean to me."

"What do pirates have to do with you believing me?" I roll my eyes, realizing that he had no idea what I was talking about. "Anyway, there's only one sure way for you all to find out." The Ogres are even closer and I have no doubt that they'll be in eye range soon enough, even for a vision-impaired person like me. Emma takes the dagger out of her boot, holding it at Hook's throat again.

"You tell me one thing," she demands," and whatever you say, I better believe it. Why does Captain Hook want to go to Storybrooke?"

"To exact revenge on the man who took my hand and my child—Rumpelstiltskin." I swallow hard, shaking my head and backing up as Hook's knowing eyes lad on me again. No, that's not possible. This guy can't be serious, he can't be insinuating what I think he is! "You're Aveena, aren't you?" The tears are back again and this time I don't stop them from spilling over and down my cheeks. "You're my Vee."

And then everything was black…


	20. Chapter 20

**~::** **The Blood of Cu Chulainn::~**

This is not a good day to be me—not only am I dealing with caffeine headaches and a ditsy Princess, but I am traveling with a guy who thinks he's my biological father and keeps insisting that he is no matter how many times I tell him to shove his big news up his ass. "Why don't you just admit you need help and quite moping," Hook asks for the tenth time in the space of three minutes.

"Why don't you go jump off the nearest cliff and see if you can fly," I ask in the sweetest voice I can manage. He frowns at my answer, adjusting the strap of his satchel that had twisted on his shoulder. Satisfied that he would leave me alone, I smile a little and pause to let Snow catch up with me, humming The Blood of Cu Chulainn (Boondock Saints Theme) as quietly as I can. Snow smiles a little, letting out a little huff when she recognizes the tune.

"Up ahead, we'll find the compass just over the ridge." He looks at us over his shoulder.

"Do you get the feeling he's leading us exactly where Cora wants us, that this whole thing's a trap," Snow questions.

"It's definitely a trap," Emma nods. "As long as  _we_  know they're trying to play us, we can—"

"Stay one step ahead of them." I smile, leaning on Snow slightly as we continue to move up the incline. I guess that old stereotype about blondes being dumb isn't exactly true after all. At the top of the ridge I move to stand between Emma and Hook, looking slack-jawed at the beanstalk that disappears into the clouds. I've heard of them, but never actually seen one before that wasn't in a book.

"Let me guess, the compass in up there?" Hook nods with a grin. He's actually looking forward to this shit? "So how do we….Get to it?"

"It's not the climb you need to worry about," he assures her. "It's the Giant at the top."

"You're joking right," I ask, shaking my head. "Everyone knows that Giants are rare nowadays because of Jack." Hook's grin widens as he shrugs, moving to lead the way down the ridge towards the beanstalk.

**Storybrooke**

Gold looks up as the bell above his shop door jingles, finding Whale walking in with an ice chest clutched in his remaining arm. He sets the chest on the display case and pushes it over to Gold, a resolute expression in his face. Gold simply looks down at the chest, wanting Whale to open it in case there was something….unsafe inside. Instead of what Gold was expecting—some half-cocked plan to murder him—he finds Whale's severed arm inside and smirks. "When they say I charge an arm and a leg, that's meant as a figure of speech."

"Put it back," Whale demands.

"You want me to reattach your arm?" He laughs a little, walking behind the display case, so he was almost out of Whale's limited reach. No need to take unnecessary chances.

"Can you do it?"

"Of course, but first, tell me why."

"Because I want to use it again."

"Obviously. I meant, why bring that stable boy back from the dead? Why now?" Was guilt kicking in after all these years? Whale looks pained, closing his eyes as he tries to explain his reasoning. It's a good job he didn't feel like this when Rumple first approached him or none of this would be happening and he'd be stuck with that idiot gypsy he'd chosen to temporarily replace Regina.

"I thought….I thought that if I helped her, she would return me to my world." Ah, so not guilt after all, purely selfish reasoning. "I want to see my brother, to try and bring him back again."

"Again?"

"The first time ended badly. I need to return and try it once more."

"Well, it seems that's rather beyond her abilities. My condolences." If it were possible to travel through worlds without a powerful curse or Jefferson's hat, he would already have his daughter back and she would ever have met Killian Jones.

"Now my arm. You said you can do it."

"Oh, yes," Gold nods," but there's a difference between  _can_ and  _will_."

"Name your price."

"Say it."

"Say what?"

"You know what. You came here, not the hospital. So say it." Whale gives a dry chuckle, looking torn between pride and the want of his arm. Carefully, he works his jacket off, revealing the bloody stump that stopped a little under his shoulder.

"I need magic." Gold smiles, glad to have finally won their little wager.

"That's all I needed to hear." He waves his hand, his magic reconnecting the severed arm to the stump—muscles, ligament, bones, and all. Everything back to normal except for the blood soaking his tattered shirt. Whale examines it as though he didn't really expect Gold to complete the task. "Always a pleasure doing business with you, uh, Victor."

**Fidget**

As a cat, Fidget liked to think he was quite intelligent compared to most animals and even some humans. Rumpelstiltskin knows that and it's why he's lasted this long besides the fact Aveena took an immediate liking to him. Thinking of his human causes him to frown—well, to frown as well as a cat was able. She has been gone for going on two weeks now and he didn't like it one little bit. Sure, Trista would give him the occasional pat and the Dark One would keep his food and water dishes filled, but it wasn't the same. He missed having a warm body to snuggle next to at night, missed watching his human dancing around her room and singing nonsense songs into her hairbrush, he even misses sitting uncomfortably close to the water on the rare occasion that Aveena took him to the docks with her.

In short, he misses his human very much. His tail twitching back and forth, Fidget jumps up onto the window sill, looking down at the town of Storybrooke with disinterest. There was nothing for a cat like himself to do in a place like this, even the mice are boring! He brings one paw up to his mouth, cleaning his black fur absently until a foul taste makes him jerk back hard enough that he falls from the window sill and onto the floor.

Despite the popularity of the saying, not all cats actually land on their feet. He stares down at the paw he'd tried to groom, his tongue hanging out of his mouth in disgust. That had never happened to him before. Bringing the paw closer, he smells it and flinches back. That is disgusting! How can anyone around here expect him to survive smelling like garbage? He wants his human back, at least that way he would be bathed regularly and smell nice and fresh.

Resigned to having to do everything himself, Fidget makes his way into the bathroom and hops up onto the side of the large porcelain tub that Aveena relaxed in nightly. Surely it can't be too hard to figure out. After all, the only real difference between him and humans is that their paws are shaped differently. Something about being all thumbs or some nonsense. Who the hell needs thumbs? They look ridiculous and claws are much better tools than thumbs will ever be.

Carefully, he edges forwards to the two metal things that release the water, using his small paws to make one of them move. Unfortunately for him, not only does the water come out, but his back paw slips and he finds himself drenched in cold water at the bottom of the tub. Letting out an irritated hiss, Fidget scrambles to knock in his soap, the pink ooze spreading out on top of the water.


	21. Chapter 21

[Pup](https://thenewfiredancer.deviantart.com/art/Alexander-491798580)

**Enchanted Forest**

"It's a little freakier than I remember from the story," Emma says as we get our first up close look at the beanstalk; it winds its way from the ground all the way through the clouds into the sky, seeming to going on forever. I tilt my head back to take the massive thing in, mouth hanging open slightly.

"Reminds me of death," Mulan adds.

"Aren't you a little ball of sunshine," I quip under my breath, earning a smirk from Hook.

"Well, your compass awaits," he says, ready to get down to business. "Shall we?"

"Wait," Emma says as we continue to walk forward. "If these beans….Create….Portals, why not just pick one and go home?"

"Because there  _aren't_  any more beans. Whatever story you think you know, my dear, is most certainly wrong." I scowl at the constant flirting Hook gives to nearly every woman in our little group, it's annoying and I just wish he would cut the shit out already—Snow's married, Aurora's obsessed with some prince or another, Mulan's playing for the other team, and Emma's obviously not interested in a guy like him. My other wish is that he would drop the whole  _Aveena, I am your father_ routine. That's even more irritating than the flirting.

"There was a guy named Jack with a cow and something about an evil giant with a treasure and a golden goose." We come to a full stop at the base of the stalk, the brown and green vines making it up still looking strong after all these years and a curse.

"Sounds like a lovely tale, but the truth's a bit more gruesome. The giants grew the beans, but rather than use them for good, they used them to plunder all the lands. Jack was a man who fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil giants. The beans were destroyed by the giants as they died. If they couldn't have their magic, then nobody could. It's very bad form."

"There's a flaw in your tale, Captain," I tell him with a smirk. He raises his brows, gesturing for me to go on. "Jack wasn't the only one who killed giants. One tried to set up shop on Papa's land, but my papa wasn't about to have a giant in his backyard, so he used his magic to turn it into a golden goose—if you don't believe me, it's sitting in the back room of Papa's shop in a glass case."

"How many times must I remind you? The Dark One is no more your father than that giant is!"  _Looks like I struck a nerve_ , I think with a laugh.

"A father is the man that raises the child, not the one that donated sperm." He makes a choking noise when I use the word  _sperm_  and that in turn makes me laugh harder.

"Are you two finished," Emma asks sarcastically. "We do have work to do, don't we?"

"The compass is up there with the treasure," Hook explains, sending me a dark  _we're having a talk later_ look. "All we have to do is sneak past the one remaining giant to do it. Cora has the means to open a portal with the sparkly wardrobe ashes, but she can't find your land without the compass." Seriously though, did the writers of Pirates of the Caribbean mooch off this compass idea to create Jack's? "Once we get it, steal the ashes from her, and we're on our way."

"How do we know you're not just using us to get the compass  _for_ Cora," Mulan asks.

"Because you five are far safer company. All I need is a ride back; I'll swear allegiance to whoever gets me there first."

"To kill Rumpelstiltskin," I inquire, watching him nod. "Mm, I'd really like to see you try because his girlfriend's back and she's tougher than she looks."

"Let's get climbing," Emma says before Hook could respond to me.

"Right," Hook chuckles," I forgot to include that the giant enchanted the beanstalk to repel intruders."

"Then how do we get up there?"

"I have a counter spell from Cora." He holds up his bound hands. "If you'd be so kind?" Snow unties the ropes, making it look easy, though I suppose it was for her since she's the one the tied his hands together in the first place. Hook brings his face close to hers with what I assume is supposed to be a seductive half grin and a wink. "Thank you, milady." He takes off his ratty outer clothing to reveal the fitted clothing underneath—a dark leather vest, trousers, and a black shirt. The cuff on his right wrist glows faintly. "I've got one more of these. Cora was to accompany me, so which one of you four lovelies shall take her place?"

"Hey," I snap when he nudges me to the side to take in the other four women.

"Go on, fight it out." He holds up the other cuff with a grin, watching the women with an expression I'd seen on Mordred's face a thousand times when I came over to his house with Vincent. "Don't be afraid to, you know, really get into it." Realizing that the women would actually argue until the chosen one stepped forward to volunteer as tribute, I decide to sit down and watch a few more YouTube videos. Hook sits next to me, looking at my phone over my shoulder. "What on earth is that?"

"The miracle of modern technology." And that's the story of how I got Captain Hook addicted to an iPhone and all its wonders. He takes my necklace in his good hand, looking it over closely once my phone died. "Papa said it belonged to my mom."

"It did, she was wearing it on the night we met. She left it behind in case the Dark One needed something to sell in order to feed your brother." I nod, tucking it under my shirt and away from his eyes. He shouldn't know something so personal about my mother, it just didn't feel right, especially with the tender note in his voice.

"Anything in that bag that can help me," Emma asks Mulan a few minutes later.

"A hook," the Chinese girl frowns.

"Hey," Hook calls out, wounded. Mulan ignores him, leading Emma out of hearing range. I can tell that he's growing impatient as the minutes wear on and it doesn't look like Mulan's finished talking yet. "Ladies, in this world we are slaves to time and ours is running out. In other words, tick tock." Emma walks over to Hook and me, the pirate standing again as the blonde holds up her arm. "I was hoping it'd be you." He sets her hand on his shoulder so he could see to put the cuff on.

"Just get on with it," Emma mutters. The dark cuff glows golden faintly once it's in place and I can feel the magic trying to come my way, but I push it back.

"This will allow you to climb, but there are other dangers." Like a lecherous pirate. "Thankfully, you've got me to protect you." He holds up his stump, pointing at it expectantly. "I can't climb one-handed, can I?" Emma takes the silver hook out of Hooks satchel and hands it over to him with a second's hesitation.

"Don't think I'm taking my eyes off you for one second." He twists it in place inside the cover that goes on his arm, the hook making a faint  _click_ to tell the pirate that it's locked in.

"I would despair if you did." She hangs the satchel on his hook, walking over to the beanstalk with Hook right behind her. "Vee," he calls right before he starts climbing," don't raise too much hell while I'm gone." I don't promise anything, my chin resting in my hands as I watch them climb from my position on the ground. Once they were out of my limited sight, I lay back in the sun-warmed sand and stare up at the sky. It's strange that the sky looks bluer here, not clouded by pollution….Pure somehow. The clouds are white and wispy—Cirrus, I think is what they're called. I'm brought back to real life by the others talking about keeping time.

"My necklace used to be a pocket watch," I chime in, drawing attention to myself. "I….I could help a little bit."

"You'll have the last watch," Mulan informs me," you're the youngest." I nod, going back to my thoughts as Mulan lays down a few feet away to sleep. "You should get some rest, Morgan. You'll want to be wide awake for your shift." I nod again, rolling onto my side and looking at the trees. After a few minutes of restless tossing and turning I sit up and pull the scarf Hook dropped over to me.

It smelled like him, that cloying scent of Sweet Peas lulling me into a light slumber….

**Killian Jones—Past**

Killian smirks as Milah walks over to him, a squirming black puppy in her arms and a hopeful light in her eyes. "I know you don't like animals," she starts, seeing his smirk transform into a frown. "But I found him wandering around by himself and he needs a home."

"He can find a home on his own, I won't have that thing aboard my vessel." She pokes her lower lip out in a pout, standing at his side and resting her head on his shoulder. The puppy lets out of small yip, its tail wagging rapidly back and forth. "No, Milah." He was absolute on this one, there's no way he's going to have a dog on his ship, especially since Milah just realized she was pregnant.

"Oh, but Killian, just look into his eyes." She holds the puppy's face close to Killian's, its brown eyes practically daring Killian to turn it down.

"Fine," he snaps, turning away from his lover and the mongrel," but you'll be the one taking care of the thing!" It's going to be a huge dog, he could tell that by its paws. Milah lets out a happy squeal, rushing past him to board the  _Jolly Roger_ before Killian had a chance to change his mind about the whole thing.

**Enchanted Forest**

I wake with a yelp, hearing screaming and looking around for a threat. It's a good thing that there wasn't one because I would have been no use in my half-awake state. Mulan is hacking away at the beanstalk with her sword, the magic the beanstalk is sending out leaving me dizzy. Snow tackles Mulan to the ground, the two women rolling around in a fight. "Good God, Hook would love that," I mumble, shaking my head and trying to sit up.

"Stop," Emma shouts, jumping the last few feet to the ground and falling once she gets there.

"Emma!" Snow was almost in tears as she runs over to her daughter. I groan, deciding to just stay where I am until the magic finishes sending a warning signal to the giant. Closing my eyes, I curl into a ball and listen to the others.

"Did you get it," Mulan asks, sheathing her sword.

"Yep," Emma says, bringing out the compass for the others to see. I watch them through barely opened eyes, the world finally stopping its constant spinning and letting me sit up on my own.

"Where's stupid," I ask loud enough to be heard.

"He's detained. Let's go, get your stuff. We've got ten hours before he follows us."  _Impressive_. I jump, feeling something cold pressing against my neck. I expect to find a sword or a dagger when I turn, but instead I find a large black dog, its head cocked to the side and watching me. He looks like he'd stop at my waist on all fours, white spots on his chest and feet standing out in stark relief against the coal black fur.

"Hey, buddy," I smile, reaching out one hand for it to sniff. "You must be the dog Hook told me about last night." The dog, Pup, leans his head into my hand, panting lightly. "Looks like I've got a friend on this journey after all."


	22. Chapter 22

**Storybrooke**

Henry holds his burned hand up for Gold to see, the solemn expression he wore looking out of place on the boy's face. "Oh yes," Gold agrees," you were quite right to call me." The burned hand is lowered, Henry careful not the let the blistered spot touch anything.

"So y-you can help," he asks. "It was just a dream."

"Well, what you're describing's certainly not a dream." Gold knew exactly what it was—he should since he's inflicted the same curse on several people in various ways. He was ashamed of Regina since it was obvious she didn't know by her question. "A side effect. You know, it's remarkable you'd cast a curse you know so little about."

"My victims are not supposed to wake up."  _And yet you fail nearly every time you cast the sleeping curse_. "That's why I certainly never cared what happened to them after." Gold walks across the room to the small kitchen table, opening the black leather bag he'd brought with him. "Until now." He pulls out a small pouch with several varying designs on it.

"When people fall under a sleeping curse, the soul travels to a Netherworld." He pulls out a small clear bottle next, the light blue contents shimmering slightly under the light. "Where it resides until awoken." He begins the process of mixing a potion. "Now, this world is between life and death, and it's very real." He pulls the cork out of another small vile hanging off a chain. "However…." He pours the light blue mixture into the vile and re-corks them both, watching as the light blue fades until the potion is clear. "Even when the curse is broken, sometimes in sleep, the victims find a way back to that world." Henry moves from his spot on a stool to stand in front of Gold. "Victims like you."

"This other world is tormenting my son every time he sleeps. I want you to give him something that will keep him from going there."

"Well, I'm afraid that's not possible. I can give you something that will allow him to control his actions whilst in that world. And once one controls something, one no longer need fear it." He holds the necklace up for Henry and Regina to see, the silver moon design on the front sparking some interest in Regina. She knew what the full moon meant to Gold, Aveena was born the night of a full moon and so she had a strong affinity for finding light in the darkness.

"A necklace," Henry asks. Gold bends down as well as he can, so to speak with Henry on his own level.

"You wear this while you're sleeping. Once you control the journey, the fear will stop. And then you can come and go as you please." As Henry reaches up to take the necklace, Regina stops him.

"Everything comes with a price with you," she reminds Gold, eyes narrowed. "What do you want for this?"

"For a house call," Gold asks with an Impish smile. "You couldn't afford it. But this is for Henry. This one's on me." He gives the boy the necklace, wondering if he was being stupid for giving it up for free. He packs his things up and makes it to the door before remembering the last text Aveena had sent his way the night before, turning to face young Henry again. "Morgan was able to contact me last night." He uses his daughter's Storybrooke name, knowing Henry was more used to it than the other. "She's doing fine and she misses you." He didn't miss the boy's happy smile as he walked out and he didn't admit to himself that seeing the boy happy made him happy in return.

**Enchanted Forest**

I sit by Pup, enjoying the warmth he gave off as the night grows darker. He seemed to like the attention, laying his head in my lap with a satisfied huff. I smile, stroking the soft fur of his back as Mulan and I wait for Emma to return with Snow. "Such a good dog," I murmur lowly so as not to wake up Aurora. "Hmm, much more behaved than Hook."

"I'm pretty sure a wild boar would be more behaved than him," Emma quips, coming out of the tree line with Snow at her heels. We don't get the chance to discuss Mulan's idea when Aurora begins to scream. Her panic has us all running over.

"Hey, I'm here, it's okay," Snow assures the other woman, sitting beside her on the ground. "It was just another nightmare."

"No," Aurora disagrees," this time it was different. There was a little boy. He….He put out the fire. He talked to me."

"What'd he say," Emma asks.

"He said…." She pauses, trying to remember. "He said his name was Henry." Of course, both he and Aurora were put under a sleeping curse. These dreams must be the side effects that Papa told me about.

**Killian Jones**

Killian drops to the ground with a grunt, slightly out of breath from the whole ordeal. He'd thought the climb had been hard to accomplish ten hours ago, but it was nothing compared to doing it in the dead of night in the fog. "My dear Captain," Cora says from behind him. "It seems you've been on quite an adventure." He leans his head back, eyes closed and body language similar to a kid that's just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "The compass please."

He slowly turns to face her, ready for any punishment she throws his way. "Yes, that. Well….Matters grew complicated. It's eluded me for the moment. The details of the affair are a bit of a bore."

"Really?" Cora gives him a smile that promises nothing good. "Stealing my protection spell and climbing the beanstalk without me might seem like a bore to you, but to me, it's a betrayal."

"I was going to bring it to you." Maybe if he kept playing like he was truly on her side she would at least let him live long enough to see Vee again. "Our agreement remains—we are going to Storybrooke together. I'll get it back."

"I don't have time for your games. I've crossed too many worlds to be brought to the brink of success. Who was it that bested you?"

"The Swan girl. Emma. Rest assured, it won't happen again." He ignores the light drizzle coming down, wondering if the old witch would allow him the use of her umbrella without too much of a cost in the long run.

Cora laughs, shaking her head. "No, it won't. You chose her and the consequences of that decision. I told you that I would get you your daughter, but you rushed ahead."

"Oh," he says mockingly," are you going to kill me now? Go ahead." He sobers, part of him aching for the sweet relief death offers. "Try."

"So brave. No, I'm not going to kill you. I have something far more  _satisfying_ in mind. I'm going to leave you here with your thirst for revenge unquenched, while I complete our journey without you."

"There's no need to be rash. We can…" He steps closer, fighting back his gag reflex as he tries to charm her. "Discuss this." He half-hoped she would turn down the offer to save his own dignity from taking a blow.

"Your pretty face buys you a lot, but not my time. It's too valuable."

"I can do this. I can get it back; you need me."

"No I don't. You've had your chance. Now it's my turn to do this—the right way." She turns, walking away from the pirate. All the rage he's felt in the last forty-four years reaches its boiling point and spills over, making him lunge forward to stab the woman with his hook. She uses her magic to move out of the clearing, leaving him to fall face first into the mud.

**Aveena**

Emma holds up the picture of Henry I always kept in my wallet for Aurora to see. "The boy you saw in your dream, is that him?"

"Yes," she nods," that's Henry."

"That's impossible, it was a dream. How can you dream of my son?" I take the picture back, staring at Henry's smiling face with a sad frown. He's one of the best things to ever happen to me and I want to get back to him.

"I have no idea."

Stowing the picture away, I raise my hand and say," I have an idea or two on what could have happened." Aurora and Emma look at me curious, an edge of panic in Emma's blue eyes; Snow seems to have come to the same conclusion I have. "Remember when Henry….When Henry almost died?" I swallow hard, blinking back tears. "It was a sleeping curse meant for you and Henry took the brunt of it, so he's the one suffering the consequences."

"You said two ideas, what else is there?"

"Aurora said he could control the flames, make them die out. My papa knows how to counter certain things, he's helped numerous people deal with overcoming the fear the Netherworld makes its occupants feel." I lose my eyes, trying to think back to what I saw him use when I was younger. "There was a light blue potion that had to sit in the window sill until dawn on the night of a full moon, then he'd pour it in a circle vile with a silver full moon design on the front—it was on a chain like a necklace."

"What's with the full moon?"

"The full moon's like a good luck charm for me."

"So the room's real," Mulan asks, brows kitted together in confusion.

"It has to be the sleeping curse," Snow agrees," I went through it when Regina put me under."

"And now Henry's going through because I didn't believe him," Emma frowns, looking close to tears. I squeeze her arm reassuringly, looking down at my shoes in guilt. She takes a steadying breath, turning to face the Princess. "What did he say in the dream?"

"He just said his name," Aurora tells her. "And then I woke up and it was over." Snow slowly begins to smile, looking confidant for the first time in the past ten hours.

"It's going to be okay," she assures us. "We have a way home now."

"No, we have a compass," Emma states. "The wardrobe ashes are still with Cora."

"Any attempt to steal from her would be suicide," Mulan reminds us.

"Not anymore," Sow smiles. "We can stop her."

"How?"

"I don't know, but I know someone who does—Rumpelstiltskin."

"If Papa doesn't know a way, the no one does." Mulan looks as though someone had just slapped her, eyes going wide as she looks at me. "What?"

" _You're father's the Dark One_?!"

"Oh, shit…..Um, surprise?" Seriously, how did she miss that earlier when Hook made his big reveal speech? I wonder if she has one less screw in her pretty little head than we all originally thought. "Can we focus please? The Princess here can give Squirt a message the next time she passes out, Henry can give that message to Papa, and Papa can save our asses." I turn to smirk at the princess. "Now, you can either go to sleep willingly or I can knock you unconscious, take your pick."

 


	23. Chapter 23

**Storybrooke**

Gold looks up when the old woman the town knew as Granny sets down two plates on his and Belle's table—two cheeseburgers, two pickles, fries, and everything Belle had asked for with the added bonus of Granny's acidic glare sent in his direction. "They smell delicious, Granny," Belle compliments with the smile that made Gold fall for her in the first place.

"They are delicious," Granny responds," didn't take any dark magic either." Gold keeps his usual expression of calm yet irritated as the old woman continues to talk. "Oh, and I charge extra for the pickles."

"Mm-hm," he grunts, waiting for her to walk away before he regains his smile. "I have a complicated relationship with her. As I do with most people." Belle gives a breathy laugh, making Gold actually feel good about himself. He knew what most people in this town thought, that he had tricked Belle into loving him, but he knew that wasn't true.

"Well," she smiles," it did take me a little time to get to know you. They will." To change the topic, he holds up the ketchup bottle for her inspection.

"You know, you should try it with ketchup. Condiments are this world's most powerful magic." Aveena had said something similar to that about caffeine when she regained her memories, but Gold refused to think about the night he'd lost his only daughter.

"Gold." He looks up reluctantly when Regina calls his name, the brunette moving to stand beside the booth. "We need to talk."

"Do we?" Granny must notice the annoyed expression on his face and the slightly desperate one on Regina's because she moves where everyone can see her and proclaims an early closing.

"No, it's okay. We're civil."

"Yeah, for now." The silence is tense, Gold's temper prickling. "Belle, you remember the woman who locked you up for twenty-eight years." She grabs her purse, the nervous look on her face making him even angrier.

"Um," she says, thinking up an excuse. "I think I should probably get—"

"No, no, please stay where you are. Whatever she has to say won't be a secret from you. Whatever she wants, she won't get." He was done with being generous, nothing good ever comes from it.

"I'm actually coming about the one thing that might unite us," Regina says, bending down a little to look at his face.

"And what on earth can that be?"

"Cora. She's coming from our land, I need your help to stop her." The name causes several emotions to rise, but Gold tries not to let the residents to see how much he hates that woman.

"But she was dead. You told me you saw the body."

"Apparently, you taught her well." Perhaps a little too well? "She's not, and she's on her way and I don't think I need to remind how unpleasant that would be for both of us."

"For you. I can handle Cora." Regina pauses, studying his face as this was the first time he looked at her since she walked into the diner.

"That's not how she tells the story."

"I won in the end."

"Maybe, but there's a big difference this time. This time you have someone you care about, this time you have a weakness—two if you want to count Morgan."

"I'm—I'm sorry," Belle interrupts," who is this woman?"

"Someone you'll never meet," Gold guarantees her. "So you say she's coming. Where is she now?"

"With  _them_ ," Regina says and Gold knows exactly who she's talking about.

**Enchanted Forest**

"How close are we," Emma asks, making me wonder why the hell she's in the lead if she doesn't know where we're going. "Henry could already be waiting in that Netherworld."

"No," Aurora disagrees. "We planned to meet back there in two hours' time." But what if time works differently here?

"Yeah, but what if he's—"

"He was fine."

"There." Snow points behind Emma, trying to stop the worrying at least a little bit. "That looks like relatively safe high ground." Emma leads to where her mom pointed, taking care not to trip like she did thirty minutes ago. She'd turned to face Aurora for the third time when her boot got caught on a tree root and she face planted the ground pretty hard. Apparently I was the only one who though it was funny. "We'll set up camp there. Aurora, you'll settle in and find Henry, get the information we need from Rumpelstiltskin. We do this fast, in and out.

It's still dangerous out here. Pup follows at a bit of a distance, stopping to sniff things, but making sure he doesn't fall too far behind.

**Storybrooke**

With Henry on the cot in his shop, Gold was ready to get things over with so he could get back to Belle and away from Regina. "So this Cora," Henry asks, gripping the charm Gold had made for him tightly in one hand," she's powerful?"

"Yes," Gold affirms," but, uh, not as powerful as I am."

"Debatable," Regina scoffs, removing her coat.

"Actually, no, it's not." David ignores the squabble, moving to sit on the cot beside Henry and squeezing the boy's arm supportively.

"You sure you're okay to do this, kid," he asks, looking as though he hated the entire concept of it.

"I was born to do this," Henry affirms. "I'm tired of reading about heroes, I wanna  _be_  one."

"Well, sometimes being one is knowing when  _not_ to run into the fire."

"I'll be okay." How brave Henry is for one so young amazed Gold, somehow reminding him of Bae. In fact, a lot about Henry reminded Gold of his son—enough so that he was beginning to get a little suspicious. Was he just being paranoid, or did the boy also share Bae's eyes? No, no, that was impossible.

"Look," Gold interrupts, wanting to stop thinking about that for a few minutes," whatever he faces in there will be far less dangerous than what he'll face if we fail."

"I can do this." When David moves, Gold takes his place, sitting in the chair next to the cot.

"Alright, Henry, just relax. And soon, you're going to drift off."

"What do I tell them?"

"Just listen to my bedtime story, and all will be clear." He lays a hand on Henry's forehead, letting some of his magic trickle into the boy to make him sleep. He's used this on Bae a time or two when he couldn't sleep or was too sick to sleep. It has the same effect of Henry, the ten year old falling asleep easily. "Once upon a time, Snow White and Prince Charming needed to stun a very powerful magician long enough to lock him up in a dark dungeon."

"They used..." he mumbles quietly. "A quill."

"Yes indeed, yet it wasn't the quill itself, but the  _ink_ that captured the Dark One, harvested from the rarest species of squid from the bottom of a bottomless ocean—impossible to find unless you're a mermaid….Or me. I happen to have a private supply. In my jail cell." He waves his hand over the boy's face again, the magic doing its work perfectly. "That is where they will find it.

**Enchanted Forest**

I walk a ways away from the group, wanting to be left alone for a few minutes without having to face the distrusting glares Mulan's been sending my way. Pup runs after me, panting happily with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Maybe I can find a stream for him to drink from. I grin down at the dog, running through the woods with him at my side made me feel more at home.

Fidget and I used to do this on warm days, running through the woods to see if Papa could find us. The thought of my little kitten makes me frown, wondering if Papa or Trista were taking care of it. He's a picky cat, one that has high standards after years of being groomed and catered to. As my thoughts drifted a man stepped I front of me, knocking me to the ground easily.

I grunt, coming back to reality as pain blooms on my lower back. The man that pushed me is dressed in ratty clothing, his face expressionless and reminding me of a zombie. "W-what are you doing," I ask hesitantly, reaching out a hand for Pup, but the dog is nowhere to be found. He must have run ahead while I was distracted. I crawl backwards every time the man moves forwards, but I'm still no match for the branch he holds in his hand.

He raises it up high above his head and lets it coming crashing down, colliding with my temple just as my magic was beginning to respond and sending me into darkness once again. The last thought I have before the nothingness takes over is no help at all and makes me sympathize with Neville Longbottom.

 _Why is it always me_?


	24. Chapter 24

A blinding pain wakes me up, my head throbbing and encouraging me to keep my eyes closed.  _Why do I feel like I just had a house dropped on me_?  _Oh great, now I feel bad for the Wicked Witch of the East or whichever damn direction she ruled over_. Groaning, I roll onto my side and clutch at my head, the throbbing only increasing when I move. "When I get my hands on that skinny bitch," I growl lowly," she'd better prey that someone is there to keep me from strangling her."

Cora's obviously behind this, only she would use zombies to kidnap teenagers—all the other villains are a moral compass of sorts. I slowly open my eyes, blinking a few times to make the world straighten out. Chains keep me from wandering too far, the heavy metal making my wrists sore. Where am I? A quick look around gives me my answer—I'm in the same damn cave that the survivors threw me in that last time I was here! Oh, this is just shit. "Not exactly proper language for a young lady to use."

Sitting up and leaning against the wall of rock, I level my best glare at Hook. He smirks at me from across the cave, drinking me I as though I'd be the last thing he saw. It wasn't a pervy look, it was more like the way Papa looks at me from time to time, as though he were worried I'd disappear like Baelfire. "Whoever told you I behaved like a proper lady was lying through their teeth."

He chuckles, the smirk never leaving his face even as Cora walks in through the front door. Hmm, I didn't notice that before. Wait, if there was a door, then why did they drop us in here through the hole in the ceiling? "Looking for someone?" The old lady turns at Hook's voice, the same annoyed expression on her face as I have.

"Oh, don't tell me you were dumb enough to let her go," she wonders with a smile that spoke volumes of how stressed she was. Good, I hope she stresses so much that her hair begins to fall out!

"She was never gonna give you what you wanted anyway." He steps to the side slightly, standing in front of me and shielding me from Cora's view. "And neither is my daughter, she holds no love for the others and they don't like her either." Hey, I can be a very likable person when I'm feeling up to it!

"So you freed her and I caught you before you could free your daughter? And you planned to stick around for the petty satisfaction of seeing me suffer?"

"Oh, watching you suffer is a tempting motivation, but it wasn't that."

"Well then, you must have a death wish." She raises a hand, sending Hook flying across the room and colliding against the wall a foot away from me, bits of stone wrapping around his wrists to hold him in place as she comes closer. I stare wide-eyed at the confrontation, unsure what to do since the manacles seem to be keeping my magic unavailable. Cora reaches out and removes Hook's hook, the metal scraping against the wall. She uses it to push the V-neck collar of his shirt to the side, revealing the chest above his heart. "You know I have to kill you."

"You should try thanking me."

"Oh, really? Why is that?"

"Because I've brought you a gift. It's in the satchel." She tears the satchel of his shoulder, opening it a little to see inside.

"Is that…?"

"Indeed it is, and with it, you'll get everything you want." She pulls out a glowing pink heart, a smile stretching across her face.

"Does that belong to who I think it belongs to," I ask, raising my brows. At Hook's shrug, I lean my head back to gaze up at the roof. "Why can't I have one night where nothing crazy happens? First it was a zombie using my head for batting practice and now the guy who claims to be my dad is going around stealing women's hearts. I could be on Doctor Phil for God's sakes." Cora gives me a strange look, waving her hand and letting Hook go.

"What's Doctor Phil," she asks, her eyebrows scrunched together.

"Someone you need to talk to, because lady, you got more issues than I've ever seen." Cora shakes her head, holding the heart close to her mouth and beginning to speak into it. So that's how that little trick works, I've never been able to see it first-hand. Hook stands next to me, his real hand running through my knotted hair, combing it out gently.

"Without him, you'll have to go up against her all by yourself. He only wants to help, I…I think he may care for you."

"Nice touch, that," Hook comments, beginning to braid pieces of my hair as well as he can with one hand and a hook.

"But you know she won't trust you."

"She doesn't have to; all I need is for her to believe I was genuine in letting the girl go, which I wager she does now. You're welcome."

"Not to put a damper on things," I call out from my spot on the ground," I mean, this little reunion has been absolutely wonderful, but I have places to go, people's minds to screw with. So, if you wouldn't mind." I hold up my wrists expectantly, lips pursed as my magic remains inactive. "These things make me uncomfortable and are terrible accessories."

"Oh no, you'll be staying with me until your father completes his task. You can call it an incentive."

"The Dark One used those exact words the last time I saw him," Hook growls through clinched teeth," and I didn't see my daughter again for nearly seven years!" Seven years? He must be the man I saw from time to time in the market place, the one I always tried to hide from! Isn't that lovely, the guy that thinks he's my father has been stalking me since I was seven years old. Ah, what a time to be alive.

"Relax, Hook. Do this right and you'll see her again in a few days' time. Afterwards, we'll all travel back to Storybrooke together where you can have your revenge, I can be reunited with my daughter, and Aveena can get ahold of that Doctor Phil fellow she was talking about."

"Just go," I grumble," Papa will turn you both into dancing ferrets when we get to Storybrooke anyway."

**Storybrooke**

The last thing Gold had expected to come up with this morning was a plan that would probably kill his daughter. Honestly, that was one of the last things he wanted to do, but it seemed like it was unavoidable at this point. With David under the sleeping curse and no way to be sure Snow got the message about the ink, this might be the only way to make sure Cora doesn't come through.

It was a fifty-fifty chance that Aveena would survive against Cora anyway, let alone live long enough to make it to any sort of portal, but the chance that she would live is still there. Even as he thought of all the places where they would come into Storybrooke with the help of a portal, the thought of murdering his daughter lingered.

Would he be able to handle the consequences afterwards? The guilt? No, that was highly doubtful—even he wasn't so much a monster that he could kill a child without regret. So yes, he would feel terrible once it was finished, but it also meant that Belle would be safe, as would Henry and the rest of Storybrooke. It's for the greater good. Really, it is….

**Enchanted Forest**

As we approach the cell that held my Papa all those years ago, Cora uses her connection with Aurora to make the younger girl throw a heavy rock at the lever, dropping the gate closed and trapping the heroes inside the cell. "What are you doing," Emma screams, not yet noticing us.

I make myself comfortable on the ground, the chains from earlier now working as handcuffs. I would be no help to them, every time I tried to know Cora out or run, Hook would grab hold of me until I stopped. "Helping me," Cora answers her, walking forward to stand in front of the jagged bars. This is the place that had Papa trapped? Well, that's underwhelming. She holds out a hand, making a  _give me_  motion until her magic moves the golden compass into her palm.

"No," Emma gasps, grabbing the bars and trying to tear them open.

"Don't waste your energy, dear. Rumpelstiltskin himself couldn't get out of this cell. Thank you, Aurora. We couldn't have done it without you." I let out a huff of air, the manacles cutting into my wrists each and every time I try to use magic or break them on something.

"How could you," Emma demands of Aurora," and you!" She turns on me this time, a furious light in her eyes.

"Does it look like I can be of any use," I snap, holding up my hands for her to see. "Use your eyes, blondie, at least you're stuck in a cave full of people that might not kill you. I'm stuck with an old bat on a power trip and her bumbling sidekick with a screw loose!"

"I am  _not_  a sidekick," Hook says defensively.

"Oh please, you might as well be her trained monkey." While Hook and I had be arguing, Cora takes out Aurora's heart, squeezing it a little. I look back at the group in the cave upon hearing the Princess's pained screams.

"Forgive us," Cora smiles," we'd love to stay, but Storybrooke awaits. Hook stands, pulling me up by the back of my sweater.

"Hook, wait," Emma calls out. "Please don't do this. My so is in Storybrooke, he needs me."

"Perhaps you should have considered that before you abandoned me on that beanstalk."

"You would've done the same." He lets go of my arm and walks over to the bars to look Emma dead in the eye.

"Actually, no." He pulls out a little wrinkled, brown thing on a large chain, holding it up for the others to inspect. "Do you know what this is, Emma?"

"The bean that the giant kept." She strikes out a hand, grabbing for the bean that Hook keeps just out of her reach.

"Unh-unh-unh. Yes, indeed—a pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this….Well, this is much more than a mere trinket. This is a symbol—something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility. Mm, now look at it, dried up, dead, useless. Much like you. The time for making deals is done, just as I'm done….With you." He gives her one last look before turning around and walking out behind Cora, pulling me along by my arm so I can't try to escape again.

* * *

"My feet hurt," I whine, trailing behind them as much as I could with Hook still holding onto my arm. Pup barks, having joined as few miles back, jumping around me like nothing ever happened. I swear, that dog's part kangaroo or something. "I'm hungry." I scrunch up my nose, bringing my wrist up to smell the scarf I tied there. "Your scarf is starting to stink."

"For the love of God," Hook groans, picking me up and carrying me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Why did you even keep my scarf?"

"Cause I liked the smell of it, it was familiar and now it's beginning to smell like feet instead of Sweet Peas."

"That was your mother's once upon a time, she loved Sweet Peas and I bought her a perfume so she could smell it all the time." He pulls out of a small glass bottle with a faint pink liquid inside. "Hold up the arm with the scarf." I do as I was told, watching him unstopper the bottle ad dab some on the scarf. "Where are we going," he asks Cora.

"Lake Nostos," she answers. "The legends say that its water holds the powers to restore what was once lost. It'll return magic to what remains of this wardrobe. Ad then, we'll be able to cross worlds." We stop in front of what used to be a lake, no trace of its magical water in sight.

"Good luck with your master plan," I tell her smugly," but you can thank Charming for there not being any water left. Apparently he killed the chick that ran this place and then it all dried up. A for effort though." Cora scowls at my, twirling her fingers and making the ground in the center of the lake crumble inwards until a giant funnel of water shoots out.

"After everything we've been through, why do you still doubt me?"

"Because in my experience, nothing ever goes right for the bad guys." Hook sets me back on my feet, Pup growling at him until he lets completely go of me.

"Traitor," he growls at the dog. I smirk, patting Pup's head affectionately. The water dies down once the hole was filled, no longer shooting up in the air.

"And now the ashes." Cora holds up the bottle containing the wardrobe dust. "Would you care to do the honors?" He smirks, taking the bottle from her and uncorking it, sprinkling it into the lake. A dent forms in the water, the entire lake turning into one big whirlpool after a few seconds. "Here we go. We'll be in Storybrooke soon enough. I really look forward to seeing my daughter. I told you I'd deliver you to Rumpelstiltskin." She holds up the compass. "Touch it, Aveena and don't let go unless you want to end up some place that isn't Storybrooke."

"Unchain me first," I demand.

"Not a chance." Hook rolls his eyes, yanking me forward and setting my hand on the compass beside his, using his hook to keep hold of Pup's collar. Just as we were about to jump in, an arrow flies out of nowhere and knocks the compass out of our hands.

"You're not going anywhere," Snow shouts from across the lake," this portal's taking us home!" Mulan and Emma are with her, but I can't see Aurora. "The compass—get it!"

"Find it first," Cora commands," I'll take care of them." Acting on instinct more than anything else, I jump forward and tackle Cora to the ground, struggling to stay on top of her and keep her hands pinned down. "Get off of me, you little brat!" Cora uses her magic to vanish, leaving me to fall all the way to the ground. The satchel is left behind, the heart inside it beating steadily.

"Mulan," I call out, throwing it to her. She gives me a shocked look before shaking her head and handing her sword to Snow. Speaking of swords…I smash the manacles against the closest rock, the brittle metal braking and allowing all of the magic I've sucked in since coming her to rush back. Holding out a hand, I focus on Excalibur, the sword finding its way back into my hand seconds later. A whistle makes me turn, finding Cora just a few feet away from Snow. "Hey, tall, dark, and batshit! Look what I can do!" I hold up a hand, shooting a blast of defensive magic her way. It knocks Cora back a few feet and allows Snow to regain her composure.

"Let's go home!" Emma holds up the compass and I spot Hook unconscious a few feet away. Cora stands, tossing Emma and I to the side so it's just her and Snow facing off.

"Why do you even want to go to Storybrooke," Snow asks.

"My daughter needs me," Cora responds. "And now I'm going to give her what she's always wanted—your heart." I hold Emma down beside me, watching as Pup runs and jumps on Cora, making her fall and hit her head on one of the many rock protruding from the sand.

"And that's one of the reasons why I'm both a dog and a cat person," I smile, patting my legs to gain Pup's attention.

"I guess that dog came in handy after all," Emma admits, helping me up. "Now, let's get back to Henry." All of us grab hold of the compass with one hand and hold onto Pup with the other before jumping into the portal. It feels suffocating and I can feel my phone begin to crack the longer we're in it.

After what feels like hours, I can make out trees above me, and a nice blue sky that's from the land without magic. I haul myself up and over the lip of the well, dragging Pup out with me and sprinting over to where Papa's standing, both of us collapsing to the ground. I cling tightly to Papa, almost sobbing. "We have a new roommate," I tell him breathlessly. Pup sits in front of us, panting away and giving us the closest thing to a smile as a dog can manage.

"I'm happy to have him. You must be tires, let's get you home so you can have a bath and Fidget will quit hissing at everyone." He helps me up and through the woods to his car, Pup hopping beside us.

"I think I'm gonna need a new phone." I pull my old one out of my bra, the screen almost completely shattered inside its case. "The portal over here broke mine."

"What's this?" He holds onto my wrist gently, looking at the scarf I still have tied there.

"It's just something I picked up along the way." He nods after a moment's hesitation, starting the car and taking me to the one place I didn't think I'd ever see again.

**Later That Day**

I pull the scarf out of the dryer, the pale cream color no longer looking so disgusting and the pale blue birds stitched into the fabric are easier to make out. Sighing, I sit at the table in the laundry room with it in my hands, Pup asleep at my feet and Fidget sprawled out on the floor next to him.

Looking around to make sure I was alone, I pull out the small bottle of perfume I'd stolen from Hook, dabbing a bit of the liquid on the scarf and breathing in what I now know to be my mother's scent. Fidget lets out a faint meow, jumping up into my lap and curling into a little ball, content purring making him vibrate.

It's good to be home.


	25. Chapter 25

**Storybrooke**

"Again," my drama teacher shouts, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I should have listened to my wife and had someone else be Christine." Mister Bryland is as surly as his wife, having the same grudge against me that she had. It's not my fault they both decided to be teachers and can't afford their rent. I clear my throat, glancing down at my script once more before continuing where I left off in the song. Vincent sneers at me, his cape billowing out behind him as the air conditioner kicks on.

" _Those who have seen your face draw back in fear_.  _I am the mask you wear._ " Vincent leads me across the stage, looking back at me over his shoulder as he begins to sing next.

" _It's me they hear_ …." And now the both of us together. God, this is where I always screw up!

" _Your/my spirit and my/your voice in one combined. The phantom of the opera is there/here inside my/your mind!_ "

"Finally," Bryland shouts, cutting into the song and gaining everyone's attention. "Why don't we call it finished for today and we'll pick it up at the same time tomorrow?" The students around me let out sighs of relief, beginning to take off their costumes. "Miss Gold, try to have your act together tomorrow or we'll find someone else who will." I nod, taking off the white robe and giving it to one of the students that works backstage to hang up.

I pull on my jacket and run out of the auditorium, deciding to spend the few hours I have before the welcome back party at the docks. Most of the town will be decorating at Granny's, so I'll have the place to myself. "Aveena," Vincent calls, jogging after me. I pick up my pace, practically sprinting by the time I make it out of his sight. I don't feel like dealing with him right now, just because I have to pretend to love him in the play doesn't mean I have to in real life. He makes a terrible Erik anyway, holding none of the false charm that Gerard Butler played him with.

I couldn't be happier when the docks come into sight, sitting at the edge and taking off my socks and shoes. I hate any type of footwear and it's somewhat warm out, so I should be fine. I dip my toes in the cool water, the sound of the waves soothing me, coaxing me to close my eyes and let my mind wander to happier times. Humming under my breath, I kick my feet back and forth slowly, creating more waves and letting the cool water splash onto my pants. " _In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came_ ," I sing under my breath, trying to remember my lines,"  _that voice which calls to me and speaks my name_.  _And do I dream again? For now I find the phantom of the opera is there inside my mind_."

"I said it before and I'll say it again, you have your mother's voice." I jump with a gasp at the unexpected voice, looking over my shoulder to see the man who spoke. Killian Jones stands behind me with one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Hello again, darling." He grins at me, the earring in his left ear catching the light and winking at me. "You're just the person I've been looking for."

With wide eyes, I get to my feet, giving him no warning as I turn to sprint back to town. I don't get far before the pirate picks me up over his shoulder, ignoring my screams and slaps as he carries me to the edge of the dock. "Help," I scream, beating on his back with my fists," Please, someone! Papa!" Instead of throwing me into the water like I expected, he holds one of his booted feet over the edge and steps down.

I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the cold water to drag me down and drown me, but when nothing happens I open my eyes again and find us on the deck of a ship. "You didn't think I'd kill you, did you?" He chuckles, carrying me into his cabin and dropping me down on his bed. "Now, be a good girl, and stay in here out of trouble." As if to make sure I do just that, he grabs a bit of rope and binds my hands to his headboard and shoves some cloth in my mouth—tying another over it to make sure I don't spit the first one out—before walking out and shutting the door behind him.

Did I just get kidnapped by the guy I thought was back in the Enchanted Forest? This is an all new kind of messed up! I grumble into the gag, working on getting loose from the rope with no results. I have to give it to him, the man knows his knots. He kept it loose enough that my blood flow wouldn't be constricted, but tight enough that I had no chance to get out without help. I lay my head back with a muffled curse, staring at the bunk above me.

The only available light source is a small circular window that allows the sunlight inside, though not much seemed to get through and it only got darks as the day went on. He could have at least brought my shoes in. My wet feet were beginning to get cold even when I maneuvered enough to cover them with the sheet on the bed. The door to the room slams open, Cora and Archie on the other side. "Hmm? Mm, unh, um, oomph," I yell frantically, no understandable words making it out past the gag.

"Morgan," Archie gasps, fighting the magic Cora's using to drag him along. "You're alive!" Yes I am, now what the fuck is going on?! I struggle with the ropes again, shouting at the tops of my lungs.

"Hmm," Cora hums, tossing Archie into the hold of the ship, shutting the doors set into the floor after him. "Looks like Hook is getting one part of his revenge after all." She smirks, patting my cheek, and draining any magic I had left in my system before walking out—the door shutting and locking behind her. Just great, now I'm trapped on a big boat with a cricket, a woman hell-bent on ruining her daughter's life, and my stalker. Could life get any better or am I just lucky?

I scoff, attempting to roll onto my side just for something to do.

**Neverland**

Pan watches the teen through a portal his Shadow provided, absently rubbing the back of his neck. She wasn't as beautiful as Wendy, but she would be a great tool if he could manage to get his hands on her. With Aveena, Pan would be able to manipulate both Hook and Rumpelstiltskin in one go. Maybe he would have them fight to the death and make Aveena watch?

He chuckles as the teen wiggles on her father's bed, her muffled complaining making him smile wider. She was so much like Hook that it almost unnerved him, her small quirks reminding him of all the times he'd confronted the pirate captain. Perhaps her hero side was from when her father was in the royal navy? "That's the girl we're after," Felix asks, coming to stand beside his leader with his club in hand. "She doesn't look like much."

"No she doesn't," Pan agreed, taking her in with ease. "But she could be useful, tell our agents to bring her to me when they bring Henry." Felix nods, leaving to make the call. Those two idiots would cease to exist the second they stopped being helpful—he had already given the boys instructions on what to do the second Greg and Tamara set foot on Neverland.

**Storybrooke**

I jerk awake, looking around the dark cabin for the reason with blurry eyes. Great, my glasses must have fell off when I was asleep. "Mm," I grumble at the two shapes I can vaguely make out in the darkness.

"Ah, you're awake."  _What was your first clue, genius_? "You must be hungry." Hook walks over to his desk, picking up something wrapped in paper and dropping it beside me. "Now, if I untie you from the headboard and remove the gag, will you stay quiet?" I give him a deadpan look, one eyebrow cocked up in a ' _what do you think'_ position. He shrugs, undoing the knot that binds my hands to the headboard, but not the one keeping my hands together.

I remove the gag myself, glaring at him the entire time. Cora perches on the edge of the desk, looking Hook and me over at her leisure. At least Hook has good taste in food—Subway is enough to make me give him a tiny fraction of forgiveness. "What do you want the therapist for," I ask around a mouthful of food. Cora's nose wrinkles in distaste at my lack of manners, but the way I see it, I'm the kidnapped child here, so I don't have to be polite.

"He may have information about the Dark One that I need to destroy him." I snort, taking another huge bite. "You could always tell me what I need to know."

"Even if I had a clue about what you needed to do, I wouldn't tell you. The man may be an over-controlling, temperamental pain in my ass sometimes, but he's still my Papa and I wouldn't choose some rum-soaked pirate over him." Hook lets out a sharp sigh, beginning to pace back and forth.

"What will it take for you to realize that I am your true father?"

"Oh, I know you are. Shit, I look just like you—my deal is that Papa is the guy that raised me and you're just some asshole that resorts to kidnapping me so you can have some dinner conversation. You see, in the balance of things, I'd rather stay with the guy that doesn't tie me up."

"He cared for you," Cora guesses," and in return, he gained your love and trust, but do you have his?" I frown at her question, nodding my head. "Are you sure? The Rumple I knew only cared about one child, and it wasn't you."

"He is using you, Vee," Hook adds on, giving me a pleading look. "He's using you to cause me pain."

"And you're not trying to do the same thing," I snap, throwing the sandwich at his head. He ducks and the food explodes against the wall in a shower of lettuce, pickles, and mayonnaise. "I'm tired of just being a pawn dammit! I'm a person, believe it or not, and I'm old enough to decide who to believe!"

"Please," Cora laughs. "You're barely old enough to cross the street by yourself. The only reason Rumpelstiltskin didn't kill you in front of Hook all those years ago is for this exact reason. He knew that if he raised you correctly that you wouldn't have a problem turning your back on your father and it would kill him." I slide down the bed to the floor, drawing my knees up to my chest and resting my forehead on them.

"Just go away." I can feel tears stinging my eyes and I don't want them to see me cry. I don't look up as I hear the door close, knowing it was only Cora who left. Hook sits next to me on the floor, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me to his side, letting me bury my head in his shoulder—my face still hidden from his sight.

"I'm sorry you had to find all this out like this" he says softly, his thumb rubbing my arm in a soothing up and down motion. "I just don't think it is right for my daughter to be used." I sniffle, a few tears escaping and running down my cheeks. "Please, Vee, just think about what I said." After a few more minutes he gets up and leaves the cabin, locking the door once more.

"Morgan?" The voice floats from the grates in the floor just above Archie's head. "Morgan," he asks again a bit louder," are you okay?" I scoot over to peer down at him, knowing I'd be no help with my hands tied.

"Well, I've been better," I answer, voice rough from crying. "Do you think my papa is doing what they said? Is he using me to hurt Hook?" There's a pause while Archie tries to gather his thoughts.

"I think….Maybe it started out that way, but if Gold didn't actually love you, then he wouldn't protect you as fiercely as he does." I nod, leaning back against the wall and closing my eyes. "Have you been here this entire time?"

"What do you mean?"  _I've only been here a few hours, right?_

"Morgan, you've been gone nearly all day." I scoff, staring at my bare feet with little interest. Hook returns a few minutes later, picking me up and putting me back on the bed, retying my hands to the headboard so I don't get any escape ideas. "Let her go! This isn't the way to make her trust you—it will only push her further away."

"You better listen to him, he's like a human conscience." I nod, eyes wide as I try to convince Hook. The pirate rolls his eyes, adjusting the blanket so that I am covered up. "A polite kidnapper, my lucky day."


	26. Chapter 26

**Dark Castle**

Aveena stares up at the older boy with wide eyes, wondering how he had gotten into her room without waking anyone. "Who are you," the ten year old asks. There was an air that surrounded the boy that had her on edge ad made her want to cry out for help. "And how did you get in the castle?"

"I'm a friend," the boy answers, sitting on the edge of her bed and holding out a hand for her to take. She does the opposite, scooting further up her bed until her back was pressed against the headboard. He frowns, letting his hand drop to the bed. "Do you have a name?"

"A-Aveena." The moment the word leaves her mouth she's filled with regret. She wasn't supposed to tell her real name to strangers, she was supposed to use the fake one, but it's too late to take it back now. The teen nods his head, standing and walking over to the window to stare up at the sky—more importantly, the second star to the right. He moves so that the upper half of his body is leaning out the opened window to feel the faint breeze that keeps the night cool. "You never told me your name."

"Peter Pan." And then he was gone and Aveena was alone in her room once more.

**Storybrooke**

I yell into my gag when I hear Archie screaming from down in the hold, knowing Hook could be torturing him at this very moment. He'd covered my entire body with a blanket to try and muffle the sounds that I would hear and make, but it wasn't enough to block them all out. I wriggle as much as I can, yelling at the top of my lungs until I can no longer hear Archie's shouts for help. Has Hook killed him?

Suddenly the blanket is pulled back, letting me have fresh air and a view of Hook. I kick out at him, but he catches my foot easily, holding them both down and tying them to the footboard. Settling with a glare, I let out a huff. "Relax, the cricket is still alive and unharmed. Do you need to use the bathroom?" I shake my head, unsure why he would ask. "Good." He tugs the blanket back up over my head and I can hear him walking out.

"Bastard," I shout as well as I can, knowing that it was just jumbled through the gag and he couldn't understand me. It made me feel better though and I think that's what really counts.

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know, Belle's using a sword to cut the ties biding my wrists and slapping my cheeks lightly to wake me up. "Oh my God," she gasps," is this where you've been?"

"Mm-hm," I nod, removing the gag and working on the ties binding my feet. As footsteps creak above our heads. "Archie—"

"I already got him out." She sets the sword and Papa's pistol down and begins to look around the room for something as I struggle with the knot. Hook would walk in any second and I would be no use if I can't get my feet loose. What kind of knot is this anyway? Cursing under my breath as the footsteps come closer, I yanks at the ropes as hard as I can.

"Looking for this," Hook asks, appearing in the doorway with a familiar yellow stole hanging on his hook. Belle spins around at his voice and I begin to work harder.

"That doesn't belong to you." Her voice is a little shaky from the scare, but it grows firmer towards the end.

"Oh, it does now." He smiles a little and I roll my eyes at his arrogance. Can he not have eye-sex with every woman he meets? Frankly, it's a little disturbing to see him do it. Grunting, I focus back on the knot, making a little progress while Hook grabs up the pistol. "My dear Belle, you should've stayed with your books. Real life can get so….Messy." He points the pistol at her head on the last word, making me quicken my efforts.

"I'm not afraid of you and I'm not leaving without that." Hot damn, my future mommy has guts!

"Well, I admire your loyalty, but helping Rumpelstiltskin? I'm afraid you're fighting a lost cause." He sets Bae's shawl down on the desk.

"He needs that shawl to find his son." That's a new development, but maybe he could use one of those tracking potions on it that he showed Charming how to use.

"And what makes you think his son wants to be found? Hmm? I'm doing that boy a favor. I do have a question for you, has he even tried to find Vee since I took her yesterday?"

"Of course he has, he's been worried sick between finding Aveena and a way to find his son! Have you not hurt Rumple enough?"

"I've hurt  _him_?" He holds up his hook for emphasis, waving it slightly in a way that would catch Belle's eye.

"You stole his wife!"

"Tell me something, Love." He moves closer, stopping inches away from Belle and speaking in what I assume is a seductive tone. "If a woman comes to you and  _begs_ you to take her away, is that theft?" My breathing hitches at his words, fingers stopping their work for a moment while I fought to decide whether or not he was telling the truth. Had my mother truly hated Papa so much that she would run from him?

"Why would she leave him?"

"Because he was a coward." The seductive note left, being replaced by irritation and anger. "And because she loved  _me_." He steps away, moving over to the desk and picking at the faded shawl with his hook. "I should have burned this the moment I acquired it."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because  _she_ made it." I begin on the knot again, biting my lip in concentration.

"I'm sorry she died, but…. _Vengeance_? Vengeance won't bring her back."

"Died?" He chuckles dryly, looking at her again. "Like it was some kind of accident. Is that what he told you?"

"H-he didn't say." Come to think of it, he never told me how she died either.

"No, of course not, of course he'd leave out the most important detail of her passing. He  _killed_ her." Hook pushes the barrel of the gun against Belle's chest. "He ripped out her heart, and he crushed it right in front of me. If that wasn't enough of a reason for vengeance, he stole my daughter and told her I was the one responsible for everything."

"No."

"Oh yes."

"No!" Hook speaks in a whisper now and it's impossible for me to hear him, so I push back the feelings that are making my hands shake, and continue to work. The knot was nearly untied now and if I could just see clearer I might be able to get it. I move to look under the bed, spotting my glasses and picking them up—I have to wipe some dust off the lenses before I put them on, but once they're in place, I can see everything clearly again.

The second the knot is untied, I leap off the bed and against Hook's legs, making him fall backwards and down into the hold where he kept Archie. "That's for kidnapping me, you ass," I shout, hopping up and running with Belle out the doorway and up to the deck. "If you get killed, Papa will go psycho." Belle gives me a dry laugh, nearly running face-first into Hook when the pirate jumps in front of us and blocks the only way for us to escape. "How in God's name did you manage that?!"

"Oh, I know this ship like the back of my…." He trails off, gesturing to his hook. "Well, you know. I'd suggest you give that back to me now." I snatch the shawl out of Belle's grasp, holding it tightly to my chest. There's no way in hell I'd give up the only thing that would let Papa see Bae again.

"Or what." All of us are shocked when Papa comes into view, a hard set to his jaw that I've only seen when he's really upset. Hook makes a satisfied noise, turning to face Papa.

"You look different in this world, Crocodile. Like the coward I met so long ago, limp and all."

"And yet, you still can't kill me."

"Let's have it, Dark One; what magic will you hide behind today?" Belle grasps my wrist lightly, tugging me to the side so I wouldn't be in the crossfire when the inevitable fight begins. Papa laughs, shaking his head.

"Oh, not magic." He brings his cane up, smashing the rubber tip against Hook's face and knocking the pirate down. I jump, backing until I feel the side of the ship preventing me from going any further as I watch Papa beat Hook with his cane. I've never seen him this angry before and it scares the shit out of me. I don't pay any attention to Belle when she takes the shawl from me or tries to disrupt the fight, I only see Hook's bloody face contort in pain as Papa continues to beat him—now using the handle to cause more damage.

"This is what you came for," I hear Belle shout," this is what's gonna get you back to Bae!"

"You're wasting your breath, Love," Hook grins as Papa lowers his cane. "He can't resist. He has to prove that he's not a coward even if it means subjecting Vee to this." Papa snarls down at him, the noise sounding like it came from a beast instead of the man I associated with deadly calm.

"Look away, little bird," Papa demands. "This isn't gonna be pretty." I wince as he brings the cane down again, covering my face with my hands.

"Do it," Hook shouts between grunts of pain," do it! Kill me!" He's laughing now, making me look up with tears in my eyes. Papa stared down at Hook in anger, looking like he was ready to strangle the pirate. "He has to show you how powerful he is." I stay where I am, clutching the railing behind me tightly.

"Papa," I cry out, voice breaking," stop, please!"

"Rip my heart out. Kill me like you did Milah, and then I'll finally be reunited with her and Vee can realize how much of a beast you really are." Papa lets go of his cane, kneeling beside Hook and wrapping his hands around his throat.

"Stop it," I scream, squeezing my eyes shut in case he didn't listen to me. "Just stop it and prove that you aren't bad like he says!" Breathing hard and feeling sick to my stomach, I sink to the floor. "Show me that what everyone says about you is wrong—that Belle and I know you more than anyone else. You're my papa….Where's the man that raised me?" After a moment of silence, Papa begins to talk.

"You take your little ship and sail until you fall off the edge of the world. I never want to see you  _again_." I open my eyes when I feel a hand take mine, Papa helping me to stand and half supporting me as we walk off the ship.

**Later That Night**

Papa pulls the car to a stop a few feet from the town line, holding tightly to Bae's shawl as I do the same to my necklace. There was enough potion that he was able to pour some of it on the necklace, so I could go with him to find Bae. I'm still mad at him, but I could understand why he did what he did. "My daughter and this shawl would have been lost if it wasn't for you, Belle.  _I_ would have been lost. After everything you've learned about me, after everything I've done….Why haven't you given up on me?"

"I learned a long time ago," she answers earnestly," that when you find something that's worth fighting for, you never give up."

"Get a room," I groan as they lean in to kiss, getting out of the car quickly so I don't have to see the display. It was bad enough with Hook, but Papa's affections were downright disturbing. The couple joins me a few minutes later, Papa winking at me as I loop my arm through his. "We're gonna have us a nice long talk later about when it's okay for PDA." He chuckles, taking holding Belle's hand in his free one.

At the edge of the line, we stop so Papa can pour the last of the potion on Bae's stole, the yellow glowing a faint blue and magic humming for a second before it went back to normal and he tosses the empty vile to the side. It was the same reaction my necklace had, making me clench it even tighter. Unsure, I take a few steps back, deciding to let Papa be the Guinea Pig this time. "Here we go." He steps over the spray-painted line, the same blue that had enveloped my necklace and Bae's shawl covers him and I hold my breath as he face Belle and me again. "Belle," he smiles," little bird."

I give a relieved laugh, leaning against a tree and letting my necklace fall back into place against my chest and letting the couple have a mushy 'I wish I could go with you' moment. My relief is short-lived however when a strong arm wraps around my neck and crushes my back against their chest. The familiar scent of Hook fills my nose and before I can shout a warning, he's already shot Belle. The brunette falls forward across the line into Papa's arms. "I wouldn't count on it," Hook growls, squeezing me tighter against him.

"Belle," Papa shouts, lowering her to the ground. "Belle!"

"Who's Belle," she asks in confused pain and fear. I can feel my knees try to give out on my, but Hook keeps me standing.

"Oh, fear not, she'll live. She'll just have no idea who  _you_ are."

"What you've done cannot be undone," Papa sobs, panicking as he moves Belle back over the line.

"Well now you finally know how it feels!" He stretches out the arm that wasn't holding me in place, daring Papa to hurt him. Anything Papa did to Hook would hit me to, but he wouldn't be thinking of that in this state and that worried me. Would he kill Hook and me? Apparently so because when he raises his hand, there's a ball of fire waiting and ready to be thrown.

I don't know whether it's a blessing or a curse when a car speeds forward—it makes Papa forget his vengeance and cover Belle, but the car hits Hook head on and Hook takes me with him over the car, having turned just right so he took most of the blow. Everything hurts when I hit the ground again, landing on my arm wrong and feeling the bone snap as I continue to roll down the small slope until I come to a stop in the ditch.

Breathing is hard, my knee was throbbing and there is blackness tinging at the edge of my vision. I stare up at the sky, feeling blood trickle down the side of my face ad into my hair. There seems to be double everything, the visions appearing side by side and kind of wavy like in a funhouse mirror. I groan, trying to move but unable to do so without pain lancing through me.

Why can't I have a normal life without evil queens, psychotic fathers, and big accidents on a regular basis? It's like the stars have aligned and decided that they hate me and want to make me suffer. Well, fuck you, stars. I'm a people and we people don't just lie down and take it. Okay, so I'm lying down right now, but that's only because it hurts to twitch.

I groan, looking around without moving my head. My new glasses are cracked and half off my face which doesn't help me see anything more than a few feet away. Sirens in the distance allow me some relief—knowing that help was close, I close my eyes and take a breath. They'll find me in time.

 


	27. Chapter 27

**Gold's Point of View**

Gold raises his hand, a ball of flame burning there ad ready to throw. Hook had ruined everything and all he wanted in that moment was to make the pirate feel true pain, to kill him slowly and watch his body writhe under the fire before it completely consumed him and turned him into ash. In his blind rage, he never registered that Aveena was between them, that she would take the worst of it all if her released his magic.

Only by luck did she survive, an incoming car forcing Gold to grab Belle and jump out of the way as the vehicle hit Hook and Aveena before crashing into a large boulder on the side of the road. He didn't see Hook turn at the last moment to somewhat protect Aveena or that Aveena went up in the air all the same. She would be seriously hurt, but all he could focus on in that moment was the fury he felt at Hook for shooting Belle and the anguish in knowing that Belle no lingered remembered their time together.

"Who are you," Belle asks in a panicked tone, trying to back away from him and failing because of the hole in her shoulder. "What's going on?" He tries to calm her down, but it's so hard when he's verging on panic himself.

"No, no, l-let me," he pleads. He holds onto her injured arm gently, running a hand just above it and stitching the flesh and muscle back together using his magic. The look of absolute terror on her face afterwards is enough to make his face crumble as he tried to keep it together for her sake. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you." He didn't notice anyone had arrived until Charming and Snow were near them, Charming checking on him and Snow going to Belle.

"Are you okay," Charming asks, helping him to stand. "What's going on?"

"She crossed over the line. She doesn't remember."

"….His one true love gone in an instant," he hears Hook shout, sparking his anger once more. "Just like Milah, Crocodile when you took her from me!" God storms over, his foot smashing into Hook's face and forcing him back to the ground.

"When you took her first!"

"Gold, are you insane," Swan shouts as her father comes up behind Gold and hauls him off Hook.

"Yes I am," he grunts, trying to murder the man that destroyed his life.

"You don't want Belle to see that!" And then Gold paused, wondering why she hadn't mentioned Aveena. Why would she only say that he wouldn't want Belle to see him murder someone when Aveena is here too? He pushes the pair away from him, looking around desperately. "What is it now?"

"Aveena was here. Where is my daughter?" The panic is back as he looks around, running down into the ditch when he notices something white against the dark mud. Aveena is lying in the mud, rain soaking her clothes and making her dark hair stick to her face. She looked so terrible lying there and for a moment he thought she was dead. He stumbles down to her, kneeling at her side to examine the stint of her injuries.

There's a deep cut on her forehead, her right arm was broken again—the dent there and it's awkward angle were enough to prove that, her knee was swollen inside her torn pants, and there were several small cuts and bruises everywhere. "Over here," Snow calls out, joining him seconds later and helping the EMT's load his daughter onto a stretcher. Snow places a hand on his shoulder, squeezing a little.

"My daughter…?"

"She's alive and she's going to need you with her at the hospital. I'll take care of Belle, don't worry." He nods absently, getting shakily to his feet and making his way up the slope to his car. Wait, you shouldn't drive like this. David will drive you to the hospital." Swallowing hard, he gets into the passenger's seat of his car and stares straight ahead, realizing what could have happened had that car not come along. He would have incinerated his daughter, killed her without a second thought because his enemy was so close and had ruined so much.  _Maybe_ , Gold thinks to himself as a tear slides down his cheek,  _just maybe I really am the beast people claim me to be_.

At the hospital Charming orders Gold to stay in the car, running inside after everyone else to make sure things went as smoothly as he could make them. It takes Gold a few minutes to snap out of his daze, but the second he recognizes where he is, he jumps out of the car and makes his way inside. His bad leg was throbbing worse than usual because of the strain he's put on it today and the bad weather, but it only slowly him down slightly as he limps inside.

"Belle," he calls upon seeing the brunette when he turns the corner," what's going on here?" David puts a hand on his shoulder, nudging him a little to get him to move.

"Get him out of here," Charming shouts, hoping one of the male nurses would hear and get the hint.

"What's happening to Belle and my daughter?!"

"I'd like to know that myself," the dwarf, Leroy comments angrily, coming to stand next to David incase Gold got past. Gold struggles to get by the two men and follow the stretcher his daughter was on at least if they wouldn't let him go to Belle, but David and Leroy were physically stronger than him at the moment.

" _Everybody_ ," Whale says loudly when he joins the fray," calm down." The blonde doctor turns to face Gold. "Mister Gold, everything will be fine, they're in good hands here." The stench of alcohol on the man's breath made Gold nervous, but he knew there was nothing he could do as long as Charming thought he'd go straight to Hook and finish the job. "I promise." He nods, moving to the waiting room and taking a seat, tapping his cane on the floor nervously.

If he could just go see his daughter, he could have her healed up and ready to go home. Belle is a different matter entirely, but he's sure that a spell or potion existed somewhere that would help her regain her memory. His foot joins the cane in tapping out a nervous rhythm, his bottom lip trapped between his teeth as his thoughts grow even more desperate. He needs to get back there—to at least see how Belle is doing even if she doesn't remember him.

"Mister Gold," a petite nurse say, a cup of something steaming in her hands. He looks up at her, sees the fear in her eyes and for once gets no pleasure from it. "I-I brought you some hot chocolate, you looked like you needed it."

"Thank you," he whispers, taking the cup from her and looking down at the soft brown liquid. The warmth it provided was welcome, spreading from the very tips of his fingers throughout the rest of his body when he takes a sip. The last time he'd drank hot chocolate was last winter when everyone was snowed in. He and Aveena had curled up in his large bed where it was warmest, they'd had mugs of hot chocolate, flashlights, and a stack of books to read to each other.

Even when the electricity came back on, they had stayed there until their mugs were empty and Aveena was fast asleep, her head on his chest. The memory brings a fresh wave of tears, being one of the few purely good ones he has. You don't know love until you experience the unconditional love that a child is capable of. They love you with everything they have, something very few adults are capable of. Aveena was no different, she had spent all the time she could with him—sitting at his feet on a pillow while he spun, playing with her dolls; watching with her head on her arms as he mixed a brand new potion; giving a shout of joy when he'd started her sword training.

He had very few memories that didn't involve the child in some way once he'd taken her. Babies take up a lot of time and energy even when you have a woman to take care of them. He as the only one able to put her to sleep at nights and the only one able to calm her after the reoccurring nightmare about a shadow man coming in through her window. Gold needed her back or he might just snap.

**Killian's Point of View**

Killian wakes with a grunt, the pain hitting him harder than he had expected it to. He half-expected to wake up on the side of the road again where he had slipped into unconsciousness, but instead he was greeted by a strange smell that burned his nose, an unfamiliar room, and Emma Swan sitting by his legs. While that was a pleasant image, he couldn't help but wonder where the hell he was. "Where's Cora," the blonde asks.

"What?" He goes to run his hand over his face, but his hand is jerked to a stop. Looking down, he spots the familiar metal bindings chaining his wrist to the bed. He sighs, give Emma a look that he had given her on several occasions in the short amount of time they've known each other. "Again? You're really into this, aren't you?" She gives him a wry smile in answer. Maybe if he tried the seduction route, she would unchain him. Trying to sit up causes pain to sear through him, falling back into the laying position he'd woke up in with a soft laugh. "Damn, that hurts."

"Told ya." She stands up so she has the higher ground, looking down at him. "You cracked a few ribs." He's certain the crocodile caused at least one of them earlier when he used that blasted cane. "Where's Cora?"

"You look good, I must say, all 'where's Cora' in a commanding voice. Chills."

"You have all sorts of sore places, I can make you hurt." Is that a promise? He smiles up at her, trying to be his usual charming self while ignoring part of the aching. She leans towards him suddenly, which makes him flinch and in turn hurt himself. She smiles again and he realizes that she really was immune to his tactics. Strange, they've never failed him before. He groans, shifting a little and glaring up at her.

"I have no idea where Cora is; she has her own agenda. Let's talk about something I  _am_  interested in—my hook." He raises the unchained arm for her to see the bandaged stump. "May I have it back? Or is there another attachment you'd prefer." He couldn't help it, he would have this woman if it killed him and he would figure out the way into that guarded heart of hers.

"You're awfully chipper for a guy that just failed to kill his enemy,  _then_ got him and his daughter hit by a car." He knew Aveena was alright, Swan wouldn't be talking to him if she wasn't, though that didn't stop him from worrying.

"Well, my ribs may be broken, but…." He glances down then back up at her meaningfully. "Everything else is still intact, which is more than can be said for other bad days I've had. Plus I did some quality damage to my foe."

"You hurt Belle and Morgan."

"I hurt his heart, Belle is where he keeps it and Vee was an accident. I would never knowingly injure my daughter." Emma leans forward with a sigh, her hands resting on his bed.

"Keep smilin', buddy. You're chained down; he's on his feet, immortal, has magic, and you hurt his girls. If I were to pick dead guy of the year? I'd pick you." Killian gives her a sarcastic smile, letting her get to the door of his room before his curiosity and concern got the better of him.

"How's my daughter?"

"Pretty banged up—broken arm, sprained knee, and she'll need stitches. If you had just left them alone, she'd probably be at home right now instead of in a hospital bed." With that, Swan leaves the room and Killian stares up at the ceiling. The important fact is that Aveena will be okay and the Dark One was hurting. Unfortunately, Killian is hurting too and in more ways than one.

"Way to go, Jones," he grumbles," you've just ruined any chance of escaping this place with your daughter." He looks around the room, taking note of the strange devices he was hooked up to in confusion. The smell he'd noticed earlier was worse than ever and he wondered if they had sprayed the foul stuff in here just to torment him.

**Gold's Point of View**

Whale walks up to Gold as he comes downstairs from checking on Aveena—the teen passed out from pain medication and blissfully unaware of her surroundings—and the man knows it can mean nothing good. "You fixed me," Whale says," fix him." Gold knew who he was talking about, the man that hit Hook and Aveena. The last thing he wanted to do was miraculously heal the man that helped put his daughter on morphine. No thank you. "It will take you seconds and cost you nothing."

He pretends to think about it for a second, taking in the varying expressions of the group behind Whale before answering. "No." He turns to walks away and barely manages to get two feet when Whale opens his mouth again.

"No….Just no?"

"No," Gold repeats for emphasis. "I owe you nothing, Whale. I owe none of you anything." The golden heroes come forward, Swan leading them. "And some of you owe me, so yeah—just no. Oh, and point of interest, the driver, he saw me throwing some magic. So instead of trying to get him out of here you better be hoping he dies because if he doesn't, he's gonna be driving tour buses up and down main street. So glad I don't give a damn."

It felt good to get it all off his chest and let some of the frustration out. This time he was able to walk out of the hospital uninterrupted, knowing his daughter would be out of it until tomorrow at the earliest.

**The Next Morning**

Gold stares down at the chipped tea cup, wondering if it could be part of the puzzle to help Belle regain her memories. It had played a significant role in getting them to realize their feelings before, so why should it not do the trick a second time? When the bell above his shop door jingles, he puts the cup down and looks up.

The door is still shut and when he walks over to check, he can see that the door is locked as he had left it when he came in. So why would the bell move on its own? He's given pause when he turns, a case sitting on the counter that hadn't been there seconds ago. He walks over to it, hand hovering over the lid. "Hello, Rumple," a feminine voice greets from behind him. It's a voice he'd hoped never to hear again, but he of all people should know that bad things come in pairs.

"Well, I expected this was just a matter of time." He faces Cora, schooling his expression into one of boredom. "Had hoped you were dead, but hey, disappointment's just part of life; I'm sure we can agree on that."

"Oh, the crocodile snaps at the little bird. And after a brought you a gift." She gestures at the box, the smile on his face putting him on edge.

"Yeah, did you bring the antidote too?"

"Rumple, it's a peace offering."

"And what do you want for this, uh…This peace offering." Everything comes with a price and he wasn't about to jump in bed with the devil before knowing what that price was. Cora's smile fades into one of determined sadness.

"My daughter. You were so clever to get her to lay the curse so that you could come here. You don't need her anymore, let me try to get her back and let us live." He smiles sardonically, his hands resting on top of his cane.

"And what do I get for my troubles?"

"Your son." Those words wipe the smile off his face and he notices her tilt her head towards the box behind him. He had a vague notion of what he would find when he opened it, but it still didn't prepare him for the rush of hope that filled his heart at the sight. "You know what that is, of course."

"It'll find him." He takes another moment to study the white globe before he turns to looks at Cora again. "If this one truly is  _it_."

"Oh, darling, I have absolutely no reason to cheat you."

"Anymore." She too close for comfort now and Gold just wants her to back away.

"I want you to find the one person in this universe who might still love you." He has to look away for a moment, not wanting her to see him vulnerable. "After all, I'm doing the same thing." Deciding to risk it, he looks at Cora again.

"Do you have any spells that return memories?"

"I only know what you taught me." She takes a breath, forcing a smile for him. "Master." She walks forward some more. "So, will you accept my offer of a truce?" He thinks it over, weighing the pros and cons against one another before holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Truce." She takes it, her thumb rubbing circles on the top of his hand.

"Let's seal it like we used to." He allows her to lean forward and press her lips against his, he even kissed her back, but he had to swallow down bile the entire time. Once upon a time he might have welcomed the kiss, but now it just felt like he was being unfaithful to Belle.

* * *

Gold holds the tea cup up for Belle to see, giving her a smile as he recalled the exact moment he started to fall for her. "I know you don't remember," he says softly," but just indulge me, please." She takes the cup from him, holding it in both hands with an uninterested expression. "Be careful with it."

"It's, uh, it's a cup," she tells him, looking at him like he was crazy. "It's damaged."

"Just look at it. Focus." He taps it with one finger, drawing her gaze back to the cup. "It's your talisman."

"It's a cup."

"You dropped it in my castle and you were afraid that you had angered me." He could tell that she was getting upset, but he needed her so badly to remember.

"Okay, y-you need to go and take your cup." She tries to force it into his hand, but he pushes it back to her.

"I just charmed it. If you focus, it will work. It's magic."

"Just go away! Stop talking about magic and  _take your cup_!"

"Just look at it." As her frustration reaches its peak, she grabs the cup and flings it across the room, the delicate porcelain shattering against the wall along with most of his hopes of getting his Belle back.

"Just go," she begs," just go away!" He nods with a whispered apology, walking out of the room and leaving the cup behind. If it couldn't give Belle her memories back, what use was there in keeping it around?

Back at his shop, Gold carries the orb into the backroom so he could do this undisturbed. He sets it on his desk, staring at it for a moment before working up the courage to prick his finger on the bronze needle set at the top. Ignoring the stinging, he lets a drop of the blood land on the globe, the foggy exterior glowing as light red color makes up a map of the world and a small dark red spot pinpoint which state his son can be found in. "Bae." With the location in mind, he decides that it's past time Miss Swan paid her debt to him.

He pushes the loft door open and steps inside, taking in the picture of a happy family about to eat breakfast together with a bit of jealousy. "Gold," Emma says, startled.

"You remember that favor you owe me, Miss Swan?"

"Yeah."

"I'm cashing it in." Charming comes to stand next to his daughter, the protectiveness obviously kicking in.

"It's not—"

He holds up a finger to interrupt her. "You do honor your agreements, don't you?" Henry walks over next, looking at Gold curiously. The boy curbs his anger slightly, but only just. "I need to find someone, so we're leaving today—pack a bag." He'd already told Aveena and, while she hadn't been happy about it, she knew there was no way she could travel comfortably while confined to a wheelchair.

"Leaving," Snow repeats, joining the rest of her family.

"Where," Henry asks.

"To find someone…Who," Emma asks.

"My son," Gold answers simply. "And it has to be today because every minute I'm here is another minute closer to me killing Hook, so it's really best for all concerned that I leave and you're gonna come with me. Oh, and, um, we have a  _long_ history." He gestures at Snow and her husband while he talks. "So know this and know it to be true, if any harm comes to Belle or Aveena while I'm gone, I'm killing all of you. I'll see you at noon."

_I'm coming, Bae, I'm going to find you again and I won't let you go this time_.

 


	28. Chapter 28

**Dark Castle**

The first time Aveena was able to use magic was on her second birthday. Rumple had just tucked her into bed and was in the process of telling her a story when the door to her room slammed open by itself. Going by Aveena's giggle, she was the one to do it. He stares at the toddler with some shock, wondering when she had gained the ability to use magic.

Over the past two years, he could feel the magic inside her growing almost as though she was absorbing the magic around her. Who knows, perhaps she  _was_ absorbing it and the sending it back out to do what she wanted. "Did it," Aveena giggles, bouncing in her bed. "Did it, did it!"

"Yes, you did," Rumple smiles, brushing a stubborn lock of hair off her face and behind her ear. He would have to do some research later on to see if what he suspected was possible. "Go to sleep now, little bird, and have pleasant dreams." She smiles, closing her eyes and squeezing her toy rabbit closer to her chest.

**Storybrooke**

I adjust slightly in the hospital bed, wincing as a sharp pain travels up my leg. The broken arm I can deal with, the stitches were no big inconvenience, but the damn sprained knee is getting old fast. Doctor Whale has already been in to inform me that I'm not allowed to put any weight whatsoever on it unless I wanted to be put in one of those stupid boots 'just because I'm older and can embarrass you'. Yeah, what an outstanding citizen.

I scoff, grabbing the crutches leaning against my bed and hobbling down the hall to Hook's room, wanting someone that's not a medical professional to talk to. Papa had stopped by earlier with a bag of clothes for me to wear until Whale released me from the hospital. It won't be until Papa gets back since he's my guardian. Hook looks up as I enter, sitting up a little so I had a place on the bed to sit. "Afternoon."

"No talking just yet," I mumble, sitting with my bad leg propped up on his pillow by his face. He looks at my foot with a grin, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I never took you as the type to like the color pink." I look at my toenails, the bright pink polish with black polka dots making me smile as well. "So what brings you to my room?"

"Boredom, there's nothing good on TV and I got tired of the nurses poking their heads inside every five minutes." He laughs a little at my expression, his good hand coming up to scratch his cheek. "They took your hook?" I nod at the bandaged stump of his wrist with a smile. "That's just wrong—you don't take a dude's fake hand."

"My thoughts exactly." His smile disappears when the door to his room opens again, turning into a dark scowl. "What do you want now? To handcuff me to the bed again because, I assure you, I'm not going anywhere while Vee is unable to move well." I tilt my head back to see who made his happy mood change so quickly—Leroy, Snow, and David making me roll my eyes.

"Are you guarding him now?"

"No, he's going to help us," David says, holding up a familiar silver hook. He smirks, knowing he had Hook exactly where he wanted him.

"If you're taking him out of here, I'm coming too."

"Don't be ridiculous, you can't even walk!"

"Where are we, David?" I wave around us with a smug grin. "Hospitals have wheelchairs and I'm pretty sure Whale won't mind me taking one as long as I don't try to walk." He opens his mouth, but I'm already up and hopping to the wheelchair in the corner of the room that was meant for Hook to use. "Let's get going, slowpokes."

"I'm not going anywhere in this dress," Hook states, carefully getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom. He comes back a few minutes later, holding his side and fully dressed in a long leather overcoat, black shirt, and pants. "Now I'm ready."

**At The Docks**

"You didn't even ask me about my recovery," Hook accuses as we move along the docks towards his ship. Leroy pushes my wheelchair while the other three walk in front of us. We can't move too fast, Hook limping pretty bad and wincing every few feet.

"How are you feeling, Hook," Snow asks with a smile as we come to a stop.

"Why don't you come closer and feel for yourself." David shoves Hook away from Snow and I roll my eyes. Here we go again.

"Want to lose your other hand," he questions angrily. "Where's your ship? Come on, Archie told us; it's shielded somehow, isn't it,  _mate_?" This is so stupid, if it wasn't you'd wouldn't be able to miss it; a giant pirate ship tends to stand out when surrounded by small fishing boats.

"Aye, it is." He turns with a pained grunt to lead the way. "I don't know what you expect to find. Cora won't be there."

"Well, maybe she left something behind that will tell us where she went. Let's go." David pushes Hook forward again and I find myself feeling a little sorry for the pirate.

"And no funny business," Leroy adds," I'm watching you, Pirate." What is he gonna do, roll me forward to crash into Hook?

"Yes,  _Dwarf_ ," Hook says sarcastically," that should deter me from any malfeasance."

"Shut up before you dig yourself a deeper hole," I tell him, tired of the banter and wanting to get back to the hospital and pudding they offer there. Hook stops again, giving me a wink.

"Well, you certainly have your mother's attitude; whether that's a good thing or not is another matter entirely." I make a face at him, watching as he steps over the dock and onto the invisible stairs leading onto his ship. Leroy gives me a disbelieving look.

"Don't worry, there are actually stairs there—he's not just a good Mime." David and Snow share a look, the Prince picking me up and carrying me aboard the ship and sitting me down on one of the barrels when get on the deck.

"You sailed this ship from our land," Leroy says, looking at Hook curiously. "Can you sail it back?" Hook looks around the ship with pride.

"She's a marvel," he informs Leroy," made from enchanted wood. We weathered many a storm together, seen many strange, glittering shores." The others begin to search, Hook helping them while I stay where I was put. "But to travel between lands, she must go through a portal."

"Yeah," David nods," what do you know about Cora's plans?"

"Cora's not the most communicative of lasses. I will tell you this—whatever malice she has in mind, her weapon of choice is in here." He taps a large box-shaped object that's covered in a large sheet. David and Leroy pull it back, but I can't make out what's inside even with my backup pair of glasses on. Judging by the looks everyone has on their faces, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's nothing good.

"Who's that," Snow asks. She's kidnapped  _another_  person? What is with that crazy old bat? Hook throws his head back, an annoyed sound coming from him when he sees who it is in the cage. "You know him, don't you?"

"It's the Giant from our world—the one your daughter and I knocked out to get the compass."

"So Cora used magic to make him travel-sized," Leroy asks.

"Whatever she intends to do with him, it's important."

"I think you know exactly what she intends," David states with a holier than thou look. "You're holding out."

"Well, either have your lovely wife torture it out of me, which I promise will be fun for both—"

David cuts him off by pinning him against another crate by his throat. "Why don't you and I have some fun?"

"I don't know what she's planning. Why don't you wake the bloody Giant and ask him yourself?" He holds up something small and I assume it's a key. Snow sets her bow down and takes the key from him, bending down to unlock the cage. I strain to see what's happening, Snow talking in a soft voice that I can't make out clearly. A big guy climbs out of the cage, looking around nervously.

"Where's that witch," he asks.

"She's gone," Snow assures him.

"What did she do? She made me small." I notice Hook moving down the stairs and over to me, keeping his face hidden from the Giant's view. How badly did he piss that guy off when they were on the beanstalk? Hook picks me up, sneaking off while the others are distracted and setting me back in my wheelchair.

"That Giant would try to smash your face in if he saw you, wouldn't he," I question in a bored manner, letting him push me in the wheelchair as fast as he can.

"I would be a wet spot on the deck of my ship," Hook agrees. He pushes me along the back streets away from the docks and the hospital. "I'm taking you to Rumpelstiltskin's home—pack a bag, we're leaving Storybrooke soon to go find your brother."

"Why would you help me find Bae?"

"I knew him for a short time, he was a good lad and I'd like you to know him."

* * *

I stare out the living room window as a Giant runs past the house, leaving large craters in the asphalt. Blinking a couple of times as I watch it happen, I collapse back down on the couch in shock. "If I didn't see it, I don't have to help get rid of it." Nodding, I push play on the DVD remote and start the movie I've been watching while I wait for Hook to come back.

" _What, a Llama—he's supposed to be dead!_ " Giggling, I munch on some popcorn and prop my leg up on a couple of pillows. This is the best movie ever. I snuggle down on the couch, my TARDIS throw blanket wrapped around me as the Ibuprofen begins to kick in and do its job. The wheelchair and my crutches are next to the couch in case I need to get up for something, but the way my knee was throbbing earlier I doubt I'll be moving anytime soon.

As it grows dark outside and there's still no sign of Hook, I let myself drift into an uneasy sleep.

 


	29. Chapter 29

**Neverland**

Rumple sits next to the Chief with a smile, listening as he tells the legend of how Neverland was created. He found the Indians fascinating, sitting with them for as long as he could and learning their ways. Thomas hated them though, he thought they were selfish for keeping the magical island a secret.

"Rumple," Thomas calls, voice cracking slightly at the end. It's been doing that a lot lately—the Chief says it's because Thomas is becoming a man. He would choose a new name soon, the name the tribe would recognize him as on his thirteenth birthday. Rumple had three years before he could choose his new name, but he was thinking about sticking with the one his parent's gave him.

Rumple runs over to his fried, walking with the teen through the never ending woods. "What name will you choose, Thomas?"

"I was thinking Peter Pan."

**Storybrooke**

I wake to find Hook standing in the doorway looking at the TV with his head tilted to the side. The beginning of Shrek is playing and it seemed like the animation had Hook baffled. I watch him until All Star finishes, the song catchy enough that Hook started to tap his foot in time with the rhythm. "Well, you may be an ass at times, but at least you have good taste where movies are concerned," I say, startling him.

"Do you think you can drive," he asks, walking over to the couch where I've been sleeping.

"Uh, yeah….Just let me get ready before I leave the house." Using the crutches, I manage to get to the bathroom and then up the stairs to get dressed—I choose a dress that's top half is white and the skirt is a sea foam green, a pair of winter tights with geometrical figures printed on them, and the black moccasin boots Papa bought me when I got back from the Enchanted Forest. Hook gives me a disapproving look when I hobble back into the den, helping me braid my thick hair so I stayed out of my face.

"What the hell are you wearing?"

"Clothes, daddy dearest, they're called clothes." I use the wall as a support while I pull my jacket on, grabbing the crutches again after I pocket my wallet and car keys. "Where am I taking you?"

"The police station; the Prince still has my hook." It's then I notice that in place of his stump, there's a hand attachment that looked stiff and unnatural. I lead him to the garage where the spare car was waiting; a dark blue Chevy that was only ever driven by me. "Are you sure you can drive?"

"Yeah, I use my right foot to do everything and it's the left one I messed up." I stuff the crutches in the backseat, getting behind the wheel and digging the keys out of my pocket. "Open the door—once I back out, shut the door again and climb in."

"Yes, ma'am." He pushes the garage door up, standing to the side so I wouldn't back into him. The purr of the engine makes me grin, shifting the gearshift to the R and backing out slowly, stopping once I'm on the street and facing the way I want to go. Hook gets in the passenger side, buckling his seatbelt as I shift into drive and press on the gas. It doesn't take long to arrive, Storybrooke being such a small town that it takes all of five minutes to get pretty much anywhere you want to go from Papa's house. "I'll be back in a moment."

I give him a mock salute, plugging a small connecting cable into the radio and my iPod so my music would be louder. One of Lana Del Rey's songs begins to play and I bob my head along with it, singing the lyrics that I can remember. It was featured in one of the newer American Horror Story episodes and I had bought it after hearing Jessica Lange singing it. " _No one's gonna take my soul away, I'm living like Jim Morrison. Headed towards a fucked up holiday, motel spree sprees and I'm singing_ …."

"Those lyrics are foul." He sneers at the radio, hook back in place. "Now, where did the Dark One tell you Baelfire is?"

"Yeah, he programmed everything into my phone."

"How long until we can get there?"

"I can buy us two tickets and get there in a few hours."

"No need, I'll take my ship."

"I'm coming too, remember?" He holds out a hand and cups my cheek, obviously worried about something. "What is it?"

"You'll lose your memories if you cross the town line."

"Try again, Papa poured the potion on my necklace, so I can cross and still have my memories." He looks uncertain, but goes along with it all the same. A few hours later finds us sitting in the back of a taxi in New York idling outside an apartment building. "Papa," I breathe with a smile, spotting him just inside the doors. I get out first, but I'm slower than Hook because of my crutches. Just as I make it inside the doors, Hook brings his hook down and into Papa's chest. "No!"

"Time's up, Crocodile," he growls, pulling his bloodied hook out and letting Papa slide to the floor. How could I have been so stupid?! Hook wasn't the least bit interested in helping me find my brother, he just wanted to hurt my papa when he didn't have access to his magic. I fall to the ground, crutches forgotten as I crawl over to Papa with tears blinding me. "You took Milah and Vee, my love, my happiness. And for that, I now take your life." He raises his hook again, but Emma brigs a heavy trash can down on his head, knocking Hook out and saving Papa some pain.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, my voice breaking. "I'm so sorry!"

"Get up," Emma commands, kicking my crutches to me as she helps crouches down next to Papa.

"What the hell is going on," a man asks worriedly, coming down the steps that lead into the actual apartment building and over to us. He's of average height with brown hair and a strong build. It's clear that this is the man my papa's been looking for—he looks so much like Papa that it isn't funny. I can't answer him, just using the bench to help me stand up until I can get my crutches. "Who is that?" He points at me accusingly.

"One of your dad's enemies found us ad my best guess is that he tricked Morgan into bringing him here." This is definitely not the way I imagined meeting my brother for the first time. "Let's get him upstairs to your apartment, then we can figure out where to go from there." I look up at the stairs as they haul Papa to his feet. How the hell am I supposed to get all the way up there on crutches?

"I'll just….Wait here," I sniffle, sitting down on the bench.

"I'll come back down to help you," Emma says, grunting under Papa's weight. She hands me her handcuffs, nodding towards Hook before disappearing upstairs with Bae and Papa. Not hesitating, I cuff Hook's hands behind his back, sitting on the floor beside him while I wait for help. This isn't how any of this was supposed to go! I should have just bought the damn plane ticket and came here on my own, that way he wouldn't have known where to find Papa and none of this would've ever happened!

Hook lets out a groan when Emma starts back down the stairs and I don't waste any time knocking him back out using one of my crutches. "I didn't know…H-he said he was going to help me find my brother."

"I know, Morgan." She helps me up the stairs and directs me down the hall to where Bae lives. His apartment is as messy as my room, so we must get that from our mom.

"So," Bae starts awkwardly, sitting beside Papa on the couch," you're my little sister. My name's Neal, nice to know you didn't come out screwed up."

"Thanks?" I sit on the other side of Papa, taking one of his hands in mine and resting my head on his shoulder. Emma reappears a few minutes later, shutting the door behind her and walking over to Henry.

"I found a storage room and locked our stab-happy pirate in there," she tells us. He shouldn't be causing anyone else any problems ad get this—he had a map on him. It looks like he sailed his ship here."

"He did, it was weird and a little awkward since the last time I was on his ship a Giant was attacking your dad."

"Don't worry," Emma tells Henry gently," Hook isn't going to hurt any of us." I help Neal make Papa lay down on the couch, removing the top layer of his clothes so we can see the wound better.

"But is Mister Gold gonna be okay," Henry asks. I take a shaky breath, not knowing the true answer to that question as I had no magic in this world outside of Storybrooke.

"He's gonna be fine," Neal assures us, taking off his coat. "Come help me." I reluctantly leave Papa's side and follow Neal into the kitchen, taking washrags from him and holding them under the kitchen faucet so he can wet them. "Don't worry, Morgan, he's survived worse." I nod, taking the dry rags back over to Papa with Neal following behind me holding the wet ones. "We gotta get him to an E.R. fast."

The wound is no longer bleeding, but leaking yellow puss and the skin surrounding it is an angry red. "It's pointless," Papa gasps, looking at the puss covering a couple of his fingers.

"No it's not," I argue," we just have to figure out what it is and then we can fix you up."

"It's a poison of Hook's own making. There's no antidote in this world, it's not from here."

"There's always a way," Neal says quickly, trying to hold Papa in place. "There's gotta be a way to save you."

"There is."

"Storybrooke," Emma fills in," there's magic there now. We have to get him there."

"I'll get a car."

"No, no, no!" Papa stops Neal from moving with a hand on his arm. "We'll need something much faster than that. The ship."

"A pirate ship instead of a car," Emma asks skeptically. "Well that's great—the only person who can captain it wants you dead."

"I can do it," Neal frowns, kneeling beside me in front of Papa.

"My big brother can sail a pirate ship," I inquire. He shrugs, looking at me. "Awesome."

"What are you doing," Emma asks when Neal gets up and start rapidly typing something into his phone.

"Getting us a car," he responds distractedly.

"I thought we were taking the ship."

"We are, but we still have to get his ass to the ship. Morgan, why don't you go check on Henry for me?" I nod, giving Papa's hand a squeeze before walking into the next room where Henry is sitting. The ten year old looks up at me from his spot on the bed, jumping up the moment he spots me.

"What's going on," he asks.

"We're gonna still a pirate ship and sail back to Storybrooke," I answer, sitting on the bed and pulling him to sit down next to me. "I'm sorry all of this is happening, Henry—I just needed to see my brother at least once."

"I thought Mister Gold wasn't your dad."

"He's not, but Neal and I share a mom." His expression brightens slightly and he wraps his arms around my neck in a hug. I return it, rubbing his back a little before pulling away. "What was that for, Squirt?"

"I thought my aunt Mo-Mo deserved a hug." I point over my shoulder at the door, raising my brows. "Yep, Neal's my dad." Well, I'll be damned. The phone on the bedside table chirps to signal a text message and I let Henry go see what it was about. His eyes grow huge before he runs out of the room to his mom. I follow after him, wondering what the hell is wrong  _now_. "Emma, you need to see this. It's a text from Mary-Margret."

"Bad news, Gold," she says when she finishes reading.

"What," Papa asks sarcastically," worse than incurable poison?" He's shaking worse than he was earlier and I move to sit next to him on the narrow couch, my hands tugging at the skirt of my dress.

"I don't know, you tell me. You got a dagger hidden somewhere in Storybrooke that's the source of all your power?"

"Get to your point."

"Cora's after it. The only way to stop her is have David and Mary-Margret get to it first." Papa lays his head back, closing his eyes in pain.

"Let Cora try."

"You can't seriously be willing to risk this, not with your son coming back with you to Storybrooke."

"Miss Swan, that dagger has not left my possession for centuries. It's not about to now." Emma sits in silence for all of two seconds before nudging me out of the way and asking my place on the couch.

"Here's the thing. You're dying….And right now we are your best hope. Time's come for you to start trusting someone." That's the thing though, Papa doesn't trust anyone no matter how long he's known them. I didn't know about the dagger until I turned fifteen. "If I were you, I'd start with family." Papa stays silent for a long time and I was certain that he would continue to do it until it was too late.

"Please," I whisper, crouching next to the couch and gripping his arm with both hands. "Why can't you trust me this once?" He opens his eyes, staring at me unsure of what to do. "I'll go stand outside if that's what you want, but you have to tell Emma so Cora can't control you."

"I want you to stay," he whispers harshly, grasping one of my hands. "The clock tower…Behind the glass and stuck to the minute hand." When Emma leaves to make the call, Papa shoos Henry out of the room so that it's just me and him. "I trust you, little bird." He looks me in the eye as he says this, giving my hand a faint squeeze. "I have since you were little, but it's dangerous for you to know things about me. My enemies would use you and I can't have you getting hurt because I told a secret. I love you."

"I love you too, Papa."


	30. Chapter 30

**Storybrooke—Two Days Ago**

Vincent—or Thomas as many knew him as—had thought his day would go pretty well today. The new lead in the school play was actually a Soprano so she could hit the notes needed and she was falling for him quickly. Back in the Enchanted Forest she was a nobleman's daughter, but here she was no better than an orphan and had no one to keep him away.

Aveena had been that way for a while when they were cursed, too scared to do anything until she decided to call his father's bluff and came out all the stronger for it. Sure, he found her attractive, but he could have any woman he wanted and right now, he wanted Kylie. She was tall, thin, and had great boobs—almost the exact opposite of Aveena.

He thinks back to his time spent with the Dark One's daughter fondly, she was a virgin when they first got together and he could tell the first time he coaxed her into his bed; she was inexperienced and a pain in the ass. He sighs, walking between two buildings the get to the school auditorium when all of a sudden, he's being pushed against the wall by magic. It pins him in place as another boy steps out of the shadows.

He's average height for a teenager, skinny with short dark blonde hair and dressed in strange clothing. He was handsome and there was a dark air about him that let Vincent know this man was as dangerous, if not more so, than Mordred. "Who are you," Vincent asks, proud when his voice sounds stronger than he felt.

"That's none of your concern," the boy smiles menacingly. "The only thing you need to worry about is keeping your disgusting hands off my prize." Vincent's dark brows furrow, wondering who this guy was talking about. Could he be a friend of Kylie's that he didn't know about? "Aveena will be mine in the end and I don't need you screwing her up." The boy releases Vincent from his hold and watches as he sprints out of the alley without a backwards glance.

Pan smiles, knowing Aveena would be crucial in his plans until Henry realized that he was a lost boy. She would also make Rumpelstiltskin hurt and Pan desperately wanted to hurt his childhood friend for what he did all those years ago.

**Storybrooke—Present**

"Are you okay," Snow asks, running over to us as we get off the ship. I struggle to get out of the smaller boat on crutches, but Henry and Emma make sure I don't fall out.

"I drove a ship," Henry tells his grandma excitedly.

"Did you now," David asks, getting on Papa's right and helping Neal support him.

"Yeah, my dad showed me how."

"That's…Me," Neal adds, helping Papa to sit on the tailgate of David's truck.

"Is Cora trying to control you with the dagger?"

"Oh, you'd know if she was," Papa answers in a strained voice. "Because most of you would be dead by now."

"Well then," Snows says," we'll just have to take the fight to her before that can happen. And this time, finish it." I'm not the only one to send a partially shocked look at the do-gooder, not expecting her to say anything like that since she's known to be the 'let them live' person in this group.

"Mary-Margret," David starts, but she interrupts him.

" _David_ she needs to be stopped. She needs to be killed. This is  _our_ family, we are going to protect it." She needs to stop kidnapping people, but  _need_  and  _will_  are two totally different things especially when we're dealing with Cora. I climb into the back of the truck to sit slightly behind Papa, wincing when I put weight on my injured leg.

"Will you make a deal with me," I ask him softly. He cocks a brow at my question, nodding for me to continue. "Next time you piss off someone with magical powers, make sure they're not all Dingo ate my baby crazy." He snorts, leaning his head back and taking deep breaths, but agreeing with another nod all the same.

"I don't want to interrupt the tender moment," Papa says when it looks like David's and Mary-Margret's conversation was never going to end. "But I feel a bit stronger. Take me back to my shop, there's magic there that can protect us."

"Let me guess," Henry speaks up as the guys help Papa so that he's in the cab of the truck. "I get to go with Ruby?" I stay where I am in the bed, Snow and Neal joining me while Emma, Papa, and David ride up front. Ruby is taking my car with Henry back to Granny's so he wouldn't be hurt.

"You don't look like our parents," Neal says when David starts the truck and begins to drive.

"Depends on which parent of mine you're talking about," I sigh," Papa is my….Adoptive father, but Hook is the one that helped make me." His mouth opens a little as he nods in understanding. "So my mom never died after all."

"She ran off with a pirate, after that I'm not so sure. Papa may have killed her or Hook may just be prissy because I keep claiming Papa as my dad."

"Are you two…" snow trails off, gesturing between Neal and I. "You're brother and sister?"

"Half-siblings, yeah. Henry was thrilled."

* * *

Papa groans as he sinks down on the cot in the back, trying to stay sitting up and clutching his cane tightly. "Emma," he asks," did you find it?" The blonde hold up an empty jar for his inspection, looking skeptical.

"Yeah, there's nothing in it." She shakes it for emphasis, but something rattles around inside it. "What the hell?" I switch my gaze between Papa and Emma, Papa looking unsurprised at the noise. Emma reaches inside, feeling around the large jar before pulling her hand out, looking as though she was holding something between her thumb and forefinger even though we could see nothing.

"Invisible chalk—use it in the front doorway." He gestures with the hand not holding his cane. "Draw a line. The rest of you? You might want to prepare for battle." I hold out my hand, Excalibur flying through the shop and into my hand. "You remember your lessons with the sword? That special trick I showed you?"

"Let Excalibur have control and I'll never miss the target," I confirm with a nod," Though, these crutches make sword fighting difficult."

"Go stand over in that corner for a moment, absorb some magic and at least heal your arm and leg enough to fight." I do just that and when I'm finished, the pain in my leg has faded to a dull throb and I no longer needed the bulky green cast. I use a bit more magic to remove it, the hardened plaster falling to the floor and the skin revealed peeling slightly from the ruler I had stuck down there to scratch it.

"Morgan," David calls," come check outside with me, I could use another sword." I give him a thumbs up, patting Papa's shoulder, then following David out of the shop. We look for any sign of a threat or weakness that would allow Regina and Cora into the shop. "Are you any good with that?"

"I should be, I've been practicing with it since I was seven." Making one last round, we reenter the shop, walking over to Emma and Neal, and right into a tense staring contest.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Emma responds a little too quickly," everything's fine." She bends her head down, scratching the chalk line in front of the door that leads outside. The line is as invisible as the chalk and I hope Papa knows what he's talking about. Once she was finished, we join Papa and Snow in the back again. "I drew the invisible line. I think. What now? You cast a protection spell?"

"No, no," Papa shakes his head," you're going to do that for me. I'm relying on you." I couldn't help but think that, if this were a movie, the dramatic music would swell at this moment. Is Emma even trained in magic? I mean, it took her a few months to believe in magic enough to save her kid!

"I can't cast a spell. I can spell 'spell'." Snow leaves the room and I force Papa to lie down, propped up by the pillows with one hand still clutching his cane like a lifeline.

"You can, it's in you." Emma has a helpless expression on her face and I can't help but feel bad for her.

"How? Here? Like, from my brain?"

"Just try." She squeezes her eyes closed, intense concentration obvious on her face. "Stop thinking!" Papa shoots up in bed, looking as though he wanted to smack Emma with his cane. "Conjuring magic is not an intellectual endeavor—Aveena was doing it when she was two. It's emotion. You must ask yourself, 'why am I doing this?' 'Who am I protecting?'  _Feel_  it." She turns her back to us and a few minutes later I could feel her magic as it took effect. "You feel it?"

His voice is calmer now as he lays back down, his stress levels coming down a few notches. "Yeah, I think I did." She faces us again with a smile.

"Good girl, very good girl." I let out a whimper as a tremor shakes the shop and everything in it, taken by surprise at the powerful magic and the fear. Papa holds onto my arm, sending a small, soothing wave of his magic into me to calm me down.

"It's them," David informs us, poking his head around the corner. "Regina and Cora, they're here." He walks in long enough to give his daughter a sword before joining Snow again in the other room—Neal, Emma, and I joining him. We take up out positions in front of the main display case a few feet away from the door, raising our weapons as it slams open.  _So much for the protection spell_.

Regina and Cora enter the shop, an air of determination clinging to them like the dark magic does. They're here for a reason and we all know what it is. Clenching my jaw, I hold onto Excalibur tightly and let go of control. The sword knows what to do, all it needs is someone to hold it—someone like me that it is familiar with.

"Regina," Emma warns," think about what you're doing."

"Don't talk to me," the dark-haired woman scowls. A ball of flames come to life in her hand, spurring David to run forward and stab at her with his sword only to have to jump back to avoid the blast and then be thrown out of the store by magic, the door slamming shut behind him. Cora throws Emma out of her way with a flick of her wrist, disappearing when Neal moves to attack and dropping Papa's dagger.

I stand in front of Regina when she tries to go after Emma, the sword raised and settled under her chin. "I actually don't want to hurt you," I say in a threatening tone," but you make one more move and this sword's going through your throat." She smirks, her magic surrounding me and tossing me across the store before I could react. My back hits the wall hard and I fall through one of the display cases, glass cutting me in numerous places and the stitches in my forehead bursting open—the blood from that stings when it reaches one of my eyes, but I ignore it as I climb out.

At this point, Emma has a dagger to Regina's throat and Cora had to decide between her daughter's life of the dagger lying between her and my brother. "What's it gonna be," Neal asks," Choose wisely." She looks between them before using magic to retrieve the dagger. The second it reaches her hand, Emma pushes Regina into them and sends them both falling.

"Fall back to Gold," Emma shouts," I have the chalk!" Neal grabs my wrist in one hand and tugs me along after him as he follows Emma into the back room. Emma uses the chalk to make a line, a wavy barrier springing up in the doorway to keep the other women out as we retreat further back into the room. Emma's cell begins to ring and she answers it quickly. "David? For now. I've got the spell up in the back room." Emma looks around the room before speaking back into the phone. "She's not with you?"

"What's going on," I ask when she hangs up and stuffs the phone back in her pocket.

"Mary-Margret's missing." Why can't she just stay in one place instead of running off all the time? "There's nothing we can do about it now; David's gonna try and find her."

"It's getting weaker," Neal says, looking at us," she's gonna get through." I can feel the shield weaken too, Cora's magic overpowering it.

"Maybe it's for the best," Papa says softly, his eyes closed. "At least this cursed power will pass from this world."

"No." Neal sets his sword down and comes to stand next to me in front of Papa. "No, you're not dying."

"I am dying, that much is certain. I need to talk to Belle." He's breathing hard now, like it's hard to catch his breath and he wants to use the last of it to talk to the women he'd fallen in love with. "Little bird, please." He holds out a hand and I quickly dial Belle's number and hand him my phone.

"Who the hell's Belle?"

"Papa's girlfriend," I answer my brother. "If things ever calm down around here, we can add her as our second mom."

"I know that you're confused about who you are," Papa says into the phone, wheezing between words as the poison makes its way through his body and ravishes his lungs. "So I'm going to tell you. You are a hero who helped your people; you're a beautiful woman who loved an ugly man—really,  _really_  loved me. You find goodness in others, and when it's not there, you create it. You make me wanna go back; back to the best version of me." I stare down at my boots as he continues, depression already beginning to set in. "And that never happened before. So when you look in the mirror and you don't know who you are…. _That's_ who you are." He's crying now and his next words are said in a whisper. "Thank you, Belle."

And then he hangs up, hand falling in his lap as tears fall down his cheeks and our barrier grows weaker still. I take the phone from him and slide it back in my pocket, holding his hand in both of mine and biting my lip to keep it from trembling. I probably won't live long once Cora gets in, she'll kill everyone in this room. "Didn't know you had that in you," Neal says, clearing his throat.

"Oh, I am full of love. I've spent a lifetime looking for you….For a chance to say I love you. And I'm sorry." Neal looks at the ground, looking as though he was trying to stay put together as hard as I was.

"I didn't think you would go back on our deal."

"I just made the wrong choice." He holds out his free hand towards Neal. "May I?"

"I'm still angry." Neal's tone is one of a heartbroken child that had just been told his puppy was dead.

"I know." And that's all it took to make him break down. Neal grabs Papa's hand just as I did, kneeling beside him with his head resting against Papa's. He pulls me closer so we're all together, the tears falling freely as I hug my little, broken family.

"I love you," I whimper through the sobs. "I love you both." Seconds before the barrier falls, I give Papa one last kiss before standing with the other two, Excalibur in hand just as Cora storms inside.

"You three, out of the way." She waves her hand, dark purple magic swirling around us and taking us away from the shop. When it clears again Emma, Neal, and I are on a path in the woods.

"What the hell?"


	31. Chapter 31

I look up as Neal walks in my room, setting Fidget down on the floor as I sit up. Doctor Whale had confined me to bed as punishment for disobeying his orders of staying off my feet and Papa was going along with it because I bought into Hooks lies and nearly killed him. "What'cha watching, Kiddo," he asks, plopping down on the bed next to me. I nod at the TV, taking a bagel and cup of hot chocolate from him.

" _It isn't very smart to piss off a guy who thinks about killing people for a living_ ," I say along with the character on Hannibal, smiling afterwards.

"Nice, my father murders people because it gives him thrills and my little sister watches a show where a guy murders and  _eats_ people because it gives him thrills." I give Neal a laugh, resting my head on his shoulder. He grins down at me, stealing some popcorn out of the bowl sitting on my lap. "So, you're only on the first season of Hannibal?"

"I'm downloading season two as we speak." I toss half of the bagel down to Fidget and the other half to Pup, watching the cat eat it in a refined manner and the dog tear into it without abandon. "So how'd the, uh, family meeting go?"

"A little awkward, but Henry seems to like Tamara." He notices the scarf still wrapped around my wrist, picking at the cream colored fabric to see the pattern sewn into it better. "I know this…It was our mother's."

"Yeah, Hook dropped it when he climbed up the beanstalk and I've had it ever since." I study his face for a few moments, taking note of the worry and stress etched there. "So why was the meet and greet awkward?" He clears his throat, kicking off his shoes so he can put his feet up on the bed, ankles crossed as he focuses his gaze on the flat screen situated across from my bed. "Come on," I groan childishly," I have to live my life through you until Whale and Papa decide I've learned my lesson!"

"I told Tamara about the Enchanted Forest."

"Are you nuts?!" I slap his shoulder, drawing Pup's attention. The big dog jumps up on the bed, laying his head on my feet protectively as he looks at Neal. "You can't just blurt out to the lady you're about to marry that you're from a different land and your father's Rumpelstiltskin! That's how people wind up in the loony bin!" I press a hand against my forehead. "God, I must be the only sane one in this family."

"Speaking of family….Hook's on the run."

"The only way this situation could get any worse is if Regina tries to cast another curse." He winces at that, rubbing the back of his neck.

"About that…."

"Are you kidding me?!" I throw my hands up in the air, falling back against my pillows with a huff. "Where the hell was I when this was happening?"

"The hospital, I think Whale was X-raying your arm to make sure your magic did a good enough job." He pokes my right arm gently. "Apparently you did pretty well." I scoff, focusing back on the beauty of Hugh Dancy, wondering why there were no available people around here that looked as good as him. "He wasn't very happy about redoing your stitches, though."

"Neither was I, these things itch like crazy." I reach up to rub the line of thread above my left eyebrow until Neal pulls my hand away. "At least the glass from the case I fell through only gave me minor cuts, those I can heal without any fussing." Fidget meows softly, climbing back up and curling up in Neal's lap. "Weird, normally he hates anyone who isn't me."

"Well, your cat has great taste in humans." I reach out a hand, scratching the top of the black cat's head and smiling when I hear him begin purring. "Him and Pup seem to get along, is there a trick there?" I shrug, making an 'I don't know' noise. Why did these two get along so well? "Great, now you look suspicious. They're animals, Morgan, they're not in cahoots and planning on robbing a bank or anything." He pauses for a second, brows furrowing. "I can't believe I just used the word cahoots."

"I can, all old people use words like that." Neal flicks me with a laugh and I throw a handful of popcorn at him. That little action starts a popcorn war, Fidget and Pup eating any that lads on the floor and that's how Neal and I spent the rest of the afternoon—catching up, eating, and watching TV reruns.

* * *

"So," Whale starts as puts his stuff back into his bag," what will you not be doing for the next few days?" He gives me a stern look, daring me to say something other than what he wants to hear.

"I will not be doing strenuous things, I will not be confronting evil sorceresses that want my whole family slaughtered, and I will not finish off another gallon of ice cream by myself because it's not healthy." I have my hand up in there air as I recite the words, looking Whale in the eyes so he knew I was telling the truth. "If I do any of these things I will check myself into the hospital where I will be forced to watch the Twilight saga until my eyes are bleeding. Satisfied now?" The handsome nods, standing up and patting the top of my head.

"Good girl; I'll call you in about an hour to see if you're still following the rules." With him gone, I get off my bed and pull on my coat and boots before going outside to walk around. The cool fresh air is nice compared to being inside all day. Smiling, I speed up a little, nearly skipping as I make my way to the center of town where all the shops are.

I wasn't paying much attention as I was walking, though because I bumped into someone and would've fallen if they hadn't caught my arm at the last minute. "Sorry, I wasn't—"

My eyes widen when I see who the person is and what they're wearing. "It's not a problem," Belle smiles. Her red-brown hair is up in a messy bun and she's dressed in an outfit that looked like it belonged on Ruby.

"What, uh…." I shake my head, mouth opening and closing a few times before I could form a sentence. "Did you raid Ruby's closet or something? I've never seen you dressed like that before." Belle gives a short laugh, shaking her head.

"I don't think I'm who you thought I was."

"No, you are who I think you are, just…." I turn my head to the side. "Not that person."

"Okay, well, I have to get going now." If I thought I was shocked before, then it was nothing compared to the shock I felt when she walked into the Rabbit Hole—a sleazy bar that Vincent frequented after tournaments.  _Speak of the devil_ , I think with a frown when the teen I had just been thinking about walks out. He turns his head to watch Belle as she walks in, looking every bit the pervert I knew he was.

His look darkens when he sees me and the fear I'd always associated with him came flying back. Unconsciously, my hand moves to clutch at the necklace I always wore, wanting nothing more than to have Papa fid me right this instant. As he walks towards me, I turn and run as well as I can on the still tender leg, but Vincent catches up quickly. He takes hold of my elbow and drags me into an alley. "What the hell is wrong with you," he snarls, pushing me against a wall.

"Me? You're the one assaulting people!" He delivers a sharp slap to my cheek, my head snapping to the side from the force of it. I guess I can add that to my growing list of things to heal later. Vincent shoves me against the wall again, clutching a fistful of my shirt to keep me in place.

"You might be the Dark One's kid, but that doesn't give you the right to sick your bodyguard on me!" I stare up at him, wondering if all the alcohol and weed had finally made him snap. "Don't give me that look, that guy attacked me last week while I was walking to school. Said he didn't want me screwing up his prize—whatever the hell  _that_  means."

"What did he look like?"

"A little shorter than me, skinny, and dressed like a freak. He used his magic to pin me up against the wall." His brow is furrowed now, confusion replacing the dark fury. "You seriously don't know, do you?"

"Do you think I'd be taking this if I had a bodyguard?" I hit his chest hard, making him stumble back a few feet. "You stupid bastard! Why would I sick someone on you when I could hurt you myself? Jesus, you idiot!" Vincent growls, grabbing me by my hair and hauling me against him.

"You should be nicer to people who can kick your ass, Morgan." Most people would consider his tone seductive, a dark edge that would send a shiver down their spines, but it only disgusted me. Maybe this is why I didn't like Hook at first, he spoke to women like they were pieces of meat instead of human beings—he used the same tone Vincent used when the teen was still abusing me.

"I thought my warning was clear." The familiar voice makes me tense, memories of a late night visitor from years ago rushing to the forefront of my mind. Vincent lets go of me quickly as the other teen walks over to us. His dark grin is enough to make Vincent try to run, but with just a flick of his wrist Vincent was dead on the ground. "Hello, Aveena, you've certainly grown up."

"Peter Pan," I gasp, sinking to my knees. He's found me again.


	32. Chapter 32

**Storybrooke**

I slap Pan's hand away, getting back to my feet and sprinting out of the alley, his voice following me. "You can't run forever, Aveena!" I do just that, running straight to Papa's shop where I knew I would find him, but I didn't expect to find him with his tongue down Belle's—or Lacey's—throat. How did she even get here so fast? No kid needs those mental scars, but I push that away for the time being.

"Papa," I gasp, leaning in the doorway and making him pay attention to me. "H-he's here, he's I Storybrooke!"

"I'm a bit busy, Aveena, I'll be home later and we can talk then," Papa says, pushing me back out the door and shutting it in my face.

"You won't be able to do that when Pan shows up," I scream at the door, kicking it in frustration when I don't get a response from him. Why wasn't he the least bit freaked out about Belle's sudden change? I know I am and I didn't even spend much time with her! Wait a second, she must be the reason he's been coming home later and later. Working extra hours at the shop, my ass!

The only other place I can think of to go until Papa pulls his head out of his ass is the docks. Maybe someone will be there that I can talk to. The walk there seems slow as the wind grows progressively colder, my nose beginning to sting even as I rub to get some heat back. It seems that my nose is the least of my problems though when I notice my brother's fiancée sneaking into the cannery with a pipe in hand.

There's only one reason she would need a pipe in that place—one, there's a fish in there that won't die and she needs to sneak up and whack it or two, she's sneaking up on a person she's intending to whack. Either way, whoever gets hit by that thing is gonna have a massive headache come morning. "What did Doctor Whale say," I grumble to myself as I begin jogging towards the cannery. "Don't be doing strenuous things—I'm pretty sure confronting a possible fish murderer is exactly that." I'm going to regret this later, I just know it.

I peak around the corner when I reach the building, looking inside and finding Emma lying unconscious in the doorway with the pipe next to her; Tamara is standing with her back to me, pointing a pistol at my brother. It's obvious he's been shot already, blood soaking his clothes. "I'm sorry, Neal," she says with a hint of smug pride in her voice. Emma begins to stir as I move forward, pipe in hand.

"Tamara," I shout to get her attention. The moment she's looking at me, I swing the pipe with enough force to break her nose and leave a nasty bruise on her face. Tamara lets out a startled grunt, holding one hand to her nose and looking at the blood for a second before swinging at me. Emma pushes me out of the way, taking over the fight. "Did I mention I played softball last year?"

"I think you left that out," Neal says breathlessly, clutching his side. I set him down on the floor, helping him keep pressure on the wound. "Move!" A swirling green portal opens right where I had been sitting seconds after Neal shoves me away from him, the suction it creates dragging me backwards. I latch onto a beam, holding for all I was worth to keep from falling in. Who knew where that damn thing leads to, I'm not about to go through all the shit I had to go through just a few weeks ago again! "Emma!" I look back in time to see him catch her, pulling her over to where I am.

"We have to get you to a hospital," she shouts over the noise of the portal, holding onto Neal while he holds onto the post. The wood under us gives way, Neal losing his grip and sliding until his lower half is in the portal and Emma's keeping his upper half in Storybrooke. "Neal!"

"Emma!" I move so that my feet are wrapped tightly around the post, my hands holding onto Emma's ankles. "You can't hold both of us!"

"I'm not letting go of you!"

"I'm as stubborn as my father," I shout in agreement," so there's no way in hell I'm letting my big brother go when I've just got him back!"

"You have to!"

"The hell I do!"

"You've been shot," Emma adds, her voice shaky from tears," no matter what land you go to you'll still die!"

"No," Neal yells back," Henry needs you. He can't lose all of us. Don't make him grow up like we did."

"Then don't let go. I need you. I love you." I can feel my legs beginning to slip, struggling to keep them around the post and my hands holding Emma's feet so none of us fall through.

"I love you too." Emma's anguished scream tells me all I need to know, my brother had let go and I'm alone in dealing with a brand new Papa all by myself. The portal closes, leaving a hole in the ground where it had been. I release Emma and the post, simply lying on the ground in shock from all that's happened today. Vincent's dead, Pan's back, Belle's changed, and Neal's disappeared again; is it even possible for this day to get any worse?

What would happen now? How could I convince Papa that Pan is back without getting shoved out of the store again? I ignore Emma when she walks out numbly, shaking and staring straight ahead at the wall. This is bad, with Pan in town, Tamara is going to seem like a friend. Hook's on the loose too—would he show back here when he thinks Papa is dead? Not likely unless he plans to kidnap me again. I'd happily sail into the sunset with him if it means not having to deal with Pan again. The last time I saw the other teen was the night of my sixteenth birthday—he'd said he would destroy my Papa and use me until he found the heart he needed. It'd be my job to push the magic I've absorbed over time back into the island until it could be healed.

Scuffed boots come into my sight, my eyes traveling up until I see their owner's face. "Aveena," Pan smirks," time to leave."

**Gold's Point of View**

Gold watches as Henry's swings higher and higher, his gaze switching between the boy and the rather sharp looking rock that he's swinging over. If he could just get Henry out of the picture, then he and Belle could live together—never aging, always close. He had to admit that the new Belle was an improvement in some ways, she encouraged his temper.

Sure, spending time with her meant ignoring his daughter and pushing his son away, but he had a woman that loved him with everything she had. Belle is his again and the only thing standing in the way of their happiness is this little boy. He twists his cane a little to the right, the rope holding Henry up beginning to fray. Gold continues to work on it until a truck door slamming pulls his attention away. "Gold," David calls out, walking over with his wife and daughter behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, my son made it clear to stay away from him, so I'm spending some time with my grandson instead," he lies easily.

"Emma," Snow tells her daughter gently," why don't you go talk to Henry and we'll handle this." Emma nods mutely, walking to where Henry is now standing next to Granny and off the swing. "Mister Gold, we have some news to share with you and it's not good." Her sympathetic look put him on edge, his stomach doing a flip.

"Not interested."

"It's about your kids," David adds, making Gold pause.

"Yeah, what about them?" Had Aveena roped Neal into one of her pranks? She'd been excited about doing it and Neal was supposed to meet with her a few days back to catch up. He watches as Emma and Henry sit on a bench away from the old woman.

"Tamara shot Neal…."

"What?" That was certainly not what he was expecting to hear. "He's dead?"

"They used a bean to open a portal. Neal was hurt so badly he fell in." Gold's heart clenched, the familiar pain of loss settling in his bones. "He's gone."

"Bae wasn't supposed to die."

"Your daughter was taken by someone, Emma said she saw the person's back as he lifted her up and just…Disappeared." Is he had just listened to what his little bird had tried to tell him earlier, then she might still be here. But no, he had pushed her out the door so he could spend more time with Lacey, the woman who has been taking up so much of his time recently. "Greg and Tamara, they took something from Regina. A magical trigger, a fail-safe I the curse that can destroy Storybrooke."

"If they activate it, it's a self-destruct and everyone not born in this world will die," Snow adds.

"I know this is hard, but we need your help."

"No," Gold shakes his head, walking away from them.

"They killed your son in cold blood and attempted to kill your daughter, and you don't want to stop them?"

"They didn't kill my children! I did." The tears were stinging his eyes again, and it seems they've done that more in the past few weeks than in the past hundred years. "I brought magic to this world to find Bae. And now he's dead and Aveena is missing; magic always has a price, and this is it. But I'm prepared to pay it." He didn't care anymore, death would be welcome at this point in his life.

"But we'll die," Snow objects," You'll die."

"Yeah, I've made my peace with that."

**Hook's Point of View**

"From the mouths of babes, I'd say the lad has a point," Killian proclaims, walking into the apartment where everyone seems to have gathered. He didn't get to react before the Prince punches him in the face, pain radiating from his nose to everywhere else. Killian grunts, taking the blow with grace.

"That's for the last time we met," Nolan tells him, pulling out the strange contraption similar to the one he'd used to hurt Belle. "Now tell us why you're here before I use something else _other_ than my fist." Killian rubs his nose a little, sniffling to make sure it wasn't bleeding.

"I think threatening to kill me is a bit redundant when we're all about to die anyway."

"No thanks to you," Emma states," Regina told us you were working with Tamara and Greg to get your revenge." Even about to die and ravished by grief, Emma Swan is still gorgeous.

"Well, that was before they told me that my daughter and I had to die to get it." Where is Vee anyway? She's usually right in the middle of the mess.

"We don't have time for this. We have a real problem."

"Which is why I'm here. Because staring death in the face has made me realize, if there's one thing I want more than my revenge, it's my family's life. So shall we start this thing now and then resume bickering?" The queen steps forward, helplessness visible in her dark gaze. He found her attractive too, but found himself shying away from the woman that tried repeatedly to kill him. "Speaking of bickering, where's Vee? I'd expected her to be the first one to punch me."

"Gone," Regina says," she was kidnapped by someone and it doesn't matter because there's no stopping this. Now, the best thing I can do is slow it down, but that will only delay the inevitable." Why did he have to have a daughter that's prone to getting stolen? Why couldn't it be getting found she was good at for once? Was it really so difficult for the girl to stay by someone trustworthy for more than a few minutes?

"Or give us the time we need," Nolan says with an 'aha' expression. "We can steal back the beans. Use them to get everyone back into the Enchanted Forest before Storybrooke is gone."

"How," Emma asks. "We don't even know where Greg and Tamara are."

"Well, I do," Killian says," I can help."

"Help yourself is what you mean. You'll take them and leave us all behind. Why should we trust you?"

"We won't have to, I'll go with him," Nolan suggests. "If he tries anything, I'll shoot him in the face."

"Quite hostile, aren't we," Killian asks with a smile. Being dead would certainly ruin any plans he had of finding his daughter  _again_ , so he supposed he could team up while it was in his best interests and while Nolan had a gun on him.

"Just being clear."

"I'll take Regina to slow down the diamond and give you guys time," Emma offers. "Mary-Margret, take Henry ad gather everyone, make sure they're ready to go as soon as we have those beans." Who would have taken Aveena this time? It's unlikely that the Dark One would have to kidnap her and the duo he was with previously couldn't have done it without Killian noticing, so who has her? He frowns as thinks back on enemies that would take her that he shared with the Dark One. Only one comes to mind that makes sense and he hates it already.

"Things we do for our children," he grumbles, following the others out of the apartment.

**Aveena/Morgan's Point of View**

"I told you, Aveena," Pan tells me, settling down on one of the logs that surround the bonfire. "You can't run forever, and you can't run from me." I sit in the dirt, the Lost Boys whooping and howling as Pan begins to play his flute—a sad and lonely melody.

"That's the thing," I mumble so softly that no one can hear me," once you start running you never know when it's safe to stop again."


	33. Season Three: All Good Things

**Neverland—Past**

Pan lets out a shuddering breath, watching Tiger Lilly for any kind of reaction. The Chief's daughter stares at him with hooded eyes, her lips kiss-swollen and a little bruised from their earlier activities; her dark hair is no longer in its neat braids, her headband laying on the ground a few feet away from her. "That was..." She trails off breathlessly, pulling his lips back to hers again and running her thin fingers through his hair. There is no denying that the Princess is beautiful even at the young age of fifteen, just as he was at sixteen. She allows him to lay her down on the cave floor, the hand not keeping him from crushing her wandering down to squeeze her hip. "Peter."

"Mm," he groans, trailing his lips from hers down to her neck and then to the sensitive spot located where her neck and shoulder meet. Tiger Lilly gasps, her nails digging painfully into his shoulders as she arches into him. Her head tilts to the side, giving him easier access to her neck. This had been going on for nearly a year now with only Rumple knowing what was going on between the pair. Well, he knew part of it, but Pan kept a vast majority of his plan hidden from his best friend.

Rumple was growing attached to these savages and wouldn't want to see them hurt no matter Pan's opinions. Pan wanted them wiped out, knew that Neverland could be all his if he could just get rid of the Indians. The Shadow would be under  _his_  command and no other's. Perhaps he would let Tiger Lilly live until he grew bored with her, she would make a nice distraction, but according to the Shadow, she is not the girl that is meant to survive. The girl he's meant to keep has yet to be born and she wouldn't be born for twenty-three years and it would be another forty-three years before it was time for her to join him. She had a strange name, Aveena or something of the sort.

**Neverland—Present**

I look up as Pan walks into my room, swinging my necklace around in boredom. "Your nephew should be here soon," he informs me with another of his signature smirks, pacing my room and using his magic to make my necklace disappear. When I say nothing, he walks over and grabs my jaw, forcing me to look up at him. There's a malicious glee in his blue eyes, he enjoys being rough with people. "You've not spoken a word since I brought you here."

I stubbornly keep my mouth closed, not giving him the pleasure of hearing me yell. This protest has earned me a few punishments, but I won't give in to him. Pan opens his mouth to speak, but chooses not to when the Shadow flies in through the window, floating a few feet away. "A few hours," it rasps. Time works so differently here, a few hours on Neverland could be minutes in Storybrooke. Pan nods, the Shadow disappearing back out into the night.

"Your nephew will save Neverland, he will become a Lost Boy, and you will become the very first Lost Girl." He laughs, shoving me backwards on the bed and walking out. I'm not the first Lost Girl, I'm the second if you count Wendy. How long until he grows tired of me after I become useless? He'll kill me eventually and it'll probably hurt like hell before the end comes and death snatches me away. I tried to run again a few days ago, snuck out the window and made it all the way to the Echo Caves by myself before Felix tackled me to the ground.

There's no way off this island if Pan doesn't want you to leave. I look down at the bracelet I was wearing when I was dragged here, the silver Phantomhive crest and blue diamonds set at even intervals giving me some comfort. This was my birthday present from Regina and Henry—it had no magical properties so Pan let me keep the small piece of home. The outfit I'd had on was burned or buried and replaced by a dark green dress that stopped a little bit above my knees with a strange corset that went on the outside of my dress, and a pair of matching boots similar to Pan's.

It would be cute under different circumstances, but as it is, I hate it. It's not even a color that looks good on me! I'm more of a pale green or dark peach, but not dark green. The straps of it are thin and resemble spaghetti straps, the material of it doing nothing to keep the cold at bay, so I spend most of my time in my room with my blanket pulled up to my chin. Pan found it amusing to find different ways to embarrass me, usually sending me heated looks was enough to bring a blush to my cheeks.

Stupid, smug, little bastard! I scowl, bringing my pillow up to my face and letting out a frustrated scream. This place sucks more than I remember. I roll onto my side, staring at the door and wondering what was going on outside. Ever since my third escape attempt, I've been confined to my room and only allowed to leave it to bathe or go to the bathroom. "Miss Veena." The whisper comes from the window and I find one of the younger boys peaking inside. "The bigger boys are gone."

"If they're gone then why are you at my window, Edric," I ask with a laugh. The seven year old grins sheepishly, climbing inside. He's been here for two years and is the youngest of the Lost Boys—taking an immediate liking to me because I reminded him of his Aunt. "What's up, Kiddo?"

"I'm scared." He's still whispering and I'm halfway convinced that either he's not able to speak above a whisper or he's just too scared to. "The other boys are gone and the dark is scary." He climbs in bed with me, his pale blonde hair almost seeming to glow in the twilight. Edric has the looks of an angel with rosy cheeks, perfect Cupid's bow lips, and a small build. He clings to me tightly, his head resting just under my chin. It reminds me of the nights I babysat Henry and had to lay down with him to get him to sleep.

"It'll be okay, Edric, I've got you." I hold him closely, rubbing soothing circles on his back and humming a song.

"My auntie used to sing to me." He looks up at me with big, brown eyes and a pleading expression that not even the most heartless person could say no to. I give a dramatic sigh, making the little boy giggle and snuggle closer to me.

" _Come stop your crying it will be alright. Just take my hand, hold it tight—I will protect you from all around you, I will be here, don't you cry. For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm. This bond between us can't be broken—I will be here, don't you cry 'cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart; from this day on, now and forever more_." Edric is fast asleep now, snoring slightly with his mouth open.

That's the song that used to get Henry asleep, the only song that really worked as Regina and I quickly discovered. He was such a fussy baby back then and now he's a strong boy. It's weird how fast he's grown up, almost enough to make me feel old, but not quite. Shaking away the thoughts, I gather Edric up in my arms and carry him down to his pallet at the base of the tree—pulling his thin blanket up to his chin. "Love you, Miss Veena," he whispers, rolling onto his side and grasping his stuffed bunny.

"I love you too, little man." I sit by him a few more minutes, ignoring the cold for the most part as I look after my new friend. "Henry," I whisper, looking out at the jungle," be safe wherever you are." Shivering, I walk back up to my room, sliding the curtain that serves as a door shut behind me and curling up on my small bed. It's twin-sized, but Papa had me used to sleeping in a queen-sized bed, so I often found myself perched on the very edge or in the floor when I woke up. I grab my blanket, covering up again and curling up into a ball, wishing Pan had let me keep my jacket at least. I snuggle deeper into the bed, the blanket covering my entire body.

At least he took me here while I have long hair and not back when I'd had it cut so that it stopped at my shoulders; right now it stops just under my breasts and kept the back of my neck toasty warm. I hope I don't catch a cold while I'm here, there's no medicine and I might end up going postal. A noise outside makes me sit up and look out my window, spotting Pan and Henry standing at the bottom of the tree.

"Come on, boys," Pan shouts, the Lost Boys surrounding them. "Let's play."


	34. Chapter 34

**Fidget**

Fidget looks around the wooded area in disgust, wondering why his companion seemed so damn excited about everything. The dog was running around, sniffing everything with only the zest a dog could muster. Fidget didn't understand it one little bit, there is nothing exciting about this new land and his human had went and disappeared again. "Pup," the human missing a hand admonishes, tugging on the dog's leash to get him to back away from a plant.

Pup whines lowly, his ears lowering slightly as he takes the warning in stride. Fidget looks up at the human holding him, the woman with short dark fur on her head seeming to be the nicest of the bunch and the more likely to keep his paws from touching the filthy path. "Are you worried," Pup barks at him, his head titled to the side as he looks up at Fidget.

"Of course not," Fidget meows back, puffing out his small chest. "My human knows how to survive, I taught her everything I know." He raises one paw up to his face, examining it closely before beginning to groom it.

"But the human that took her is a bad one. What if he hurts her?"

"Then I'll have a reason to put my claws to good use and scratch the demon's eyes out of their sockets." Fidget is looking forward to that, he's been practicing since his human first visited Neverland and didn't return until morning. She'd spoken to him of what had happened, what Pan had threatened to do, and had to restrain himself and keep his claws in place.

"What's wrong with you, Pup," the handless man questions, looking down at the large animal. Pup barks up at him, but the human doesn't speak animal and so doesn't understand. "Don't worry boy, we'll have her back soon." Fidget's green eyes fix on the human curiously, wondering what connection he had to Fidget's human. The cat doesn't like the handless one, it seemed to find pleasure in tormenting the human holding him.

"It's like they're having a conversation," the human with blonde fur comments, looking between Fidget and Pup.

"She's smart," Pup tells Fidget," I like this human." For emphasis, he rubs his head against the human's leg affectionately, making Fidget shake his head. "She will bring our human back!"

" _My_ human," Fidget corrects him. "Aveena has been my human since I was born, not yours." He's the one that snugged next to her when the strange-skinned human she called Papa was away or too busy, he's the one that made sure she didn't do anything too reckless. She is his human and he refuses to share her with some mangy dog—even if the dog was bearable at times and far more interesting than most animals he interacted with.

**Pan**

Pan watches the camp with some curiosity, observing the little groups the people form and how the two animals stick close together. The dog he recognized as Hook's, but the cat he's never seen before. Judging by the way he hissed whenever Hook came near, Pan was certain that it was no friend of the pirate's. As of now, the dog was curled up next to the fire, the cat sleeping with Pup's tail on top of it. He would have thought the sight amusing had the crying not started up.

The only one to stir at the sound is the blonde, the supposed savior, and Henry's mother. He stays close by her, shielded by his magic until he's ready to reveal himself to her. "You hear that, too," he asks, smirking when Emma spins on her heal to face him, not quite able to wipe the shock off her face before he sees it. The small sword in her hand does nothing to him, he knew that he'd never die because of something so puny. He leans against one of the trees, feigning disinterest. "You're Emma, right?" He steps forward, furrowing his brow. "I wonder why  _they_  can't hear the crying."

"Who are you," she asks without lowering the sword.

"Oh, did I forget to introduce myself? I'm Peter," He smiles at her, one that he saw only put her further on edge. "Peter Pan." She moves quickly, pinning him to the tree with the edge of her sword pressing against his throat.

"Where's Henry?" This is what he liked the most, the rush of adrenaline he still got when danger finds him.

"You've got fire." He grins, not fighting to get free. "I like fire."

"Where's my son?"

"Henry's still alive, if that's what you're worried about."

"Why the hell did you take him?"

"He's a very special boy, Emma." Pan's tone is calm and more than a little amused, this is certainly better than bantering with that stupid pirate. At least Emma puts up more of a fight than Hook did.

"I know. That doesn't answer my question. What do  _you_ want with him?"

"I came here to see who I was up against— _the savior_." He exaggerates her title mockingly, not seeing very much of a savior within the woman, but she had spunk and he liked that. "Gotta say, I'm not disappointed."

"What do you say now? You're gonna tell me how I'm never gonna see Henry again?"

"No, I'm going to help you find him. I'll give you a map." She watches him suspiciously for a moment before taking a step back and lowering her sword from his throat. He exhales a little, not having to worry about accidentally cutting himself on the blade, and pulling out a parchment map out of his outer shirt. "A map that will lead you straight to your son." He found it interesting that she wasn't very worried about Aveena, but she no doubt thought Hook would be enough to worry about the teen's safety. He moves, letting the point of her sword rest against his chest without fear.

"If this is some kind of trap…" Pan chuckles lowly at the threat.

"I may not be the most well-behaved boy on the island, but I always keep my promises. The path to finding Henry and Aveena  _is_ on this parchment." She lowers the sword fully, still suspicious about his intentions. It's a good thing to be suspicious around Pan, it could be the only thing to keep you alive.

"Why are you giving it to me?" There's the smart girl he knew she was, it just takes some pushing and prodding.

"See, it's not about finding them. It's about  _how_ you find them. And, Emma…You are the only one who can." She takes the folded up map from him, unfolding it to look down at the page. Except for a border around where the map would be, the page is empty.

"It's blank."

"You'll only be able to read that map when you stop denying who you really are." When she looks back down at the map, he uses his magic to teleport back to his camp, the Lost Boys in their beds and crying softly. The Shadow is still with Rumpelstiltskin, posing as Belle to learn a few dirty little secrets while Pan is busy planning. "Wake up, boys, it's time for a new game." They would need to be in their positions before the Evil Queen uses magic to track them. Henry and Aveena look up at him as he approaches, his new toy holding Henry close to her. She was putting on a brave face for her nephew, but Pan knew for a fact that she was frightened. The fear showed clearly in her blue eyes as she glared up at him—it made him want her like Tiger Lilly had years ago. They shared the same stubborn pride and protective nature, but maybe Aveena will come out of all this with her life. "I'm going to need your clothes, Henry."

Aveena opens her mouth to protest, but Pan had already used his magic to switch outfits with the boy, the magic making sure the clothes fit perfectly. "What are you up to now," Aveena questions, standing up so that she was in front of Henry and blocking the boy from Pan's view.

"Playing a game and you're going to help me teach your heroes a lesson." He grabs her arm, trusting one of his boys to keep an eye on Henry while Pan and the others were away.

* * *

Pan stays facing away from the group when they find their way into the clearing. For this to work, he needed them to have their hopes up before he crushed it. Aveena stands close by, facing their direction and frozen in place. He didn't want her to ruin his fun by pointing out that it wasn't Henry they were seeing. "Guys, hold on," Emma says softly. "Is that? Henry!" Pan turns with a smile, his hands warm inside Henry's coat.

"Hi, Emma," he smiles. The expressions on their faces were enough to make Pan exultant.  _This_ is the moment he loved, when they broke the rules and had to suffer the consequences. The pirate's eyes, fix on Aveena, pain evident there.

"Where the hell is Henry?"

"You broke the rules." As he talks, he moves to where Aveena is standing on a small hill higher than the one he had been on, setting his hands on her mostly bare shoulders, "That's not fair. Bad form. I expect more from  _you_ , Captain." He can feel his toy tense beneath his hands and he relishes the feeling of power he has over her and therefore over Hook.

"Aye," the pirate agrees," and you'll get it."

"Give the kids to me," Emma demands, desperation coloring her tone.

"Sorry," Pan says, feeling the exact opposite," Can't. Don't you know? Cheaters never win." His boys come out of the woods, surrounding the group and aiming their weapons at them.

"Watch out for their arrows," Hook warns," they're laced with Dreamshade." Pan smirks as the fighting begins, bending his head down to whisper in Aveena's ear.

"I want you to watch your father, to watch as he fights for his life. One day he won't be able to defend himself so well against Felix and he will die—I want you to know that it will be your fault when it happens." Tears well up in her eyes, but she blinks and they've vanished, replaced by an icy cold glare that Pan finds humorous. She's trying so hard to appear strong when she's really just a child playing at being an adult.

"Go to hell," Aveena snarls as much as loudly as his magic would allow her, which was just barely above a whisper.

He looks back at the fighting, noticing that both sides were fighting to disarm, but not to kill. It stops when most of his boys have been knocked back, Emma straddling one of them with an appalled expression on her face. Pan whistles, drawing the boys back to his side and allowing Aveena to push his magic out of her system and into the island. "Remember what I told you," Pan instructs, holding Aveena close to him with one of his hands around her slender neck. He forces Aveena to walk down the hill to confront the group, the murderous light in Hook's eyes making it all worthwhile. "That map will show you where Henry is….Only when you stop denying who you really are. I'll make sure to send Henry your regards." With one last smirk at the pirate, he picks up Aveena and sprints away from the group, his boys shouting as they run with him.

**Later That Night….**

"Don't eat the blue ones," Pan advises, startling Emma at his sudden appearance. "Congratulations, you did it….Orphan." He stands beside her, watching the blonde pick the red berries from the bush and place them in a wooden bowl. "You don't mind if I call you a Lost Girl, do you?" Perhaps he could use Emma later on.

"Call me what you like," Emma shrugs. "It won't stop me from finding Henry and Morgan." So she was called Morgan when she was cursed? Well, that certainly explains the nickname Henry uses instead of her real name. He laughs at her comment, unable to stand still for long, so he moves behind her to her other side.

"Oh, I'm counting on that. There's a reason I tested you."

"Really?" Her tone is sarcastic, but he doesn't let it affect him.

"You haven't forgiven your parents for abandoning you." He notices the slightest of pauses as she picks the berry. "Don't deny it. You haven't. That's good." He moves to her other side again, the pacing soothing his ever racing mind. "Really good, 'cause when you find Henry, you'll understand him." She stands up to face him, looking defensive as he had anticipated.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He hasn't forgiven you either. By the time you get to him, he'll never want to leave this island."

"We'll see." She bends down to pick up the bowl, walking past him and making him turn to watch her walk away.

"And as for you, Emma….When we're finished, you won't just feel like an orphan. You'll  _be_ one." And so will Aveena if he times this right. He knew Emma's sore spot is Henry, but he wanted to poke at the Captain's bruise too, to dangle what he wants so badly before his eyes and out of his reach.


	35. Chapter 35

**Neverland—Past**

Pan pushes Tiger Lilly away from him, warm sticky blood splattered everywhere. His first killing felt good, the adrenalin in his system making his heart beat faster and keeping his energy levels up. This is what he's been waiting for all month, to exterminate the Indians like the pests they are. "It's nothing personal," He grins down at the Princess.

"P-peter…." Tiger Lilly's large brown eyes glaze over, her hand dropping from her throat to the dirt of the path. He stares at her for a moment longer before moving on to the stream, bending down to wash all of her blood and his off of him to draw less attention from the others when he returns to the camp.

Rumple would be waiting for him to return and teach him how to shoot a bow and arrow. Pan laughs full out, dipping his blade into the water and watching as the flow of the current washes the blood further downstream. He would let the others find Tiger Lilly, let them draw their own conclusions. They would probably believe that the Shadow was the cause. The tribe doesn't trust Neverland's creator and Pan knew this could start a war that he would win.

"Peter Pan never fails."

**Neverland—Present**

I wince as I force my makeshift brush through a stubborn tangle, biting back a squeal of pain as it tangles even worse and I'm left with a huge mess. "Dammit," I hiss, throwing the brush across my room and narrowly missing Pan as he tried to walk in. He raises his brows as he picks it up and looks at me. "What do you want now, Pan?"

"I thought you'd like to come outside for a while, get some fresh air."

"You're lying." He chuckles, watching me as I draw on some magic to tame my hair. "What do you want?" Pan sets my brush down on my little table before he grabs hold of my wrist and pulls me to my feet.

"I want to have some fun." I give him a nervous look, letting him pull me out of my room and down into the clearing where Henry and the others have gathered. He takes a crossbow from little Edric, ruffling the child's hair and letting go of my arm. Pan removes the homemade arrow and dips arrowhead in in a little jar of thick black liquid.

"What's that," Henry asks, coming to stand next to me.

"Dreamshade, it's a nasty poison." He sets the bolt in place, readying the crossbow to be shot. "We have a story here about a man who once shot an apple off his son's head with an arrow. Let's find out if it's possible."

"If you're shooting at the apple, what's the poison for?" I wrap a protective arm around Henry's shoulders, not liking where this is going one little bit. Pan is a brat at the best of times, but when he's bored things tend to go south fast.

"Motivation not to miss. Aveena, stand over here."

"I-is, are you good?" I shake my head, mouth opening and closing a few times as I try to figure out Pan's idea.

"Doesn't matter, you'll be doing the shooting." Pan forces Henry to take the crossbow, nodding at me. "You won't hit her." Felix sets the apple on my head, making sure it won't fall before stepping away. I stay put, knowing that one small move would give Pan ample reason to hurt me or someone else in my place. Holding my breath, I shut my eyes tightly as Henry raises the bow. I jump when I hear the arrow whoosh past me, my mouth dry and hands shaking.

He hadn't hit the apple on my head and I felt no pain, so why are the boys cheering? I open my eyes, finding Pan a few feet away holding the shaft of the arrow. If he hadn't caught it, the arrow would be buried in his chest right now. I let out the breath, dropping to my knees and nearly sobbing in relief. "H-Henry?"

Pan grins, dropping the arrow and handing the crossbow he'd taken from Henry off to another boy. "Come on, I have something to show you. Felix, keep an eye on Aveena; if she escapes again I'll use you for target practice, and I never miss." Pan takes Henry's arm, leading him out of my sight.

"Aveena," Felix calls," make yourself useful." I look at the older blonde boy, not as afraid of him as I am of Pan. "Put the younger ones to bed so we can get some work done." The boys seven and under are huddled near the edge of the camp on their pallets—all but Edric who had Pan's favor and so slept at the base of the tree.

"Hey, guys," I smile, sitting on the ground in the center of their little circle of pallets. The children give me sad, depressed looks, the night making them miss their parents and old lives. "Lie down and relax." The six kids do what I say, Edric running over and curling up in my lap, his head resting on my shoulder. "What do you guys want tonight, a story or a lullaby?"

"Lullaby," four out of the seven demand.

" _Dancing bears, painted wings—things I almost remember—and a song someone sings once upon a December. Someone holds me safe and warm, horses prance through a silver storm, figures dancing gracefully across my memory! Someone holds me safe and warm, horses prance through a silver storm, figures dancing gracefully across my memory! Far away, long ago, glowing dim as an ember, things my heart used to know things it yearns to remember. And a song someone sings once upon a December_."

Most of the boys have fallen asleep by the time I finish, the only one still awake being Edric. "Can I have another one, Miss Veena?"

"No, Edric, not tonight." My hands are still shaking when I make the little one move so I can get up, pressing one hand to my head in an effort to calm down. If Henry actually had shot the arrow at me I could be dying in pain at this very moment, that much Dreamshade enough to have me finished before the week is up. Pan and Henry enter the camp again, Henry moving away from all of the others who had gathered around the fire.

Pan catches me when I try to go to him, pulling me in the opposite direction and out of the camp. "We're going for a walk," He smiles.

"But…" I look back at Henry over my shoulder as Pan pulls me towards the waterfall. He's taken me there a few times since I was brought here a few days ago, the water soothing my nerves, but I was always on edge around Pan. Just like with Papa, everything comes with a price and I wasn't sure I could pay for this. "Why do you take me here?" He doesn't answer me, continuing to walk along the hidden path that will take us to the cave hidden behind the waterfall so we can enjoy to soft sounds without getting wet.

"Can I not spoil my new toy?"

"Why? So it's all the more sweeter when you try to break me?" He scoffs, walking around the cave and lighting the candles. "I hate to break it to you, Pan, but it takes a lot to get to me now than it used to."

"I know, Vincent and Mordred made sure of that. They made you stronger, so I killed them." He shrugs as though murder was a casual conversation topic. "You see, I need you to be strong for what you have to do until Henry realizes I'm right, you'll keep Neverland alive until Henry heals it." He looks me over and smirks. "You really are the Captain's daughter whether you admit it or not. He liked to put up a brave front too, but always gave into me in the end."

The older boy comes closer to me, backing me into the wall and keeping me there by placing a hand on either side of my head. "I don't intend to give in."

"You will….They all do." He leans forward, his lips brushing mine when he speaks. I can see something other than evil glee in his eyes, a flash of the boy he used to be before he took control of the Shadow. "Haven't you heard, Aveena? Peter Pan never fails."

"You will this time."

"No, I don't think I will." I glare at him defiantly, tilting my head back to look at him better. His blue eyes are darker than usual, something is burning there and it doesn't frighten me the way it should have.

"Prove it." Pan closes the distance, bringing his lips against mine firmly in a heated kiss. Strangely, I find myself kissing him back, my fingers finding their way to his shoulders while his arms go around my waist. It's wrong, I know it's wrong that I was enjoying this, but it felt so nice not to be forced into this for once. I pull him closer, my eyes closing and enjoying the warmth he has to offer.

 


	36. Chapter 36

I watch the boys dance around the fire, banging their sticks together in a rhythmic tribal beat that made even me want to dance. I close my eyes, listening to it and swaying in my seat next to Henry. The rhythm is a catchy one and I don't see how my nephew isn't affected by it. I know the moment Pan sits next to me, feeling his magic pushing at me until I force it into the island. "You don't want to join in the celebration, Henry," Pan asks, his flute in hand.

"Nothing to celebrate," Henry responds with a shrug. My gaze moves from one boy to the other, never stopping the slight back and forth motion.

"Nothing to celebrate? Henry, this whole part is to celebrate  _you_."

"Me? Why?"

"Because you've come to save magic, of course." Pan leans forward, his hands resting on his legs. I breathe in his scent, the smell of smoke and the woods a comforting one. "And I, for one, can't think of a reason more deserving of celebration than that. Just look at them, look at your aunt." Henry does just that, concern entering his eyes when he looks at me—reaching out a hand to gently grasp my wrist and make me stop moving.

"Mo-Mo and I aren't anything like them. Or you." Pan smiles at my nephew's stubborn tone.

"Sure you are. You're still a boy, maybe a song will get you on your feet." He brings the pan flute up to his lips, the soft sad melody he plays making me close my eyes again. The song makes me feel lonely, makes me question for the hundredth time whether Papa really loved me or if he was just using me as a pawn to hurt Hook.

"Sorry, I-I don't hear anything." My brow furrows when the music stops, wondering if Henry had an ear infection that was making everything he heard muffled. The song was loud and clear for me, so why wouldn't it be for him? Pan lowers his flute with a distracted look.

"Interesting. You see, this pipe's enchanted, Henry. It can only be heard by certain children."

"Like who?" Pan's gaze is drawn elsewhere and the distracted look is back.

"You'll find out soon enough, I promise." He stands, dropping my mom's scarf in my lap before walking off. I stare down at it in relief, glad to still have this tiny piece of my mother back. I bring it up to my nose, breathing in her scent for a second before re-wrapping it around my wrist where it belonged. The cotton fabric is a little dirty from its time here, but it's no worse for wear and the smell of Sweet Peas still clings to it.

**Pan**

Pan looks up as a magical wind sweeps through the camp, his boys and two captives falling to the ground in unconsciousness. He smiles when it dies down, the magic having no effect on him; it doesn't even make him dizzy when he stands up. "We have a guest," he says loudly. "No doubt someone who knows how much I like guessing games." He's been expecting this since the moment Felix brought him word of Baelfire returning and the unconscious sentries. He moves around a little, turning to face the person responsible. "Who could it be? I guess….The Dark One." Rumple stood a few feet away, dressed as ridiculously as he was the past time Pan had seen him. Come to save Henry and Aveena, have you, Laddie? How exciting. The Dark One ready to sacrifice his life for his family. Speaking of family…" He uses his magic to relight the torches surrounding the camp. "You can come out now, Baelfire."

The other adult reveals himself, a crossbow held up and aimed at Pan. "Name's Neal now," he corrects.

"New name, but the same old tricks. It's heartwarming to see father and son working together, especially after you abandoned him, Rumple." He can see the pain that flashes in his old friend's eyes at the reminder and knows he hit a sore spot. "This is a real family reunion." He smirks, noticing the way Baelfire kept a careful distance between him and his father. He's still a Lost Boy at heart and he always will be.

"What are you waiting for," Rumple asks without taking his eyes off Pan.

"I got this," comes the steady reply. Baelfire squeezes the trigger and the arrow comes flying towards Pan's heart, but just as he had before, Pan catches it before the arrow can pierce his chest. Pan pants a little, having to take a step back in order to steady himself.

"Clever," he admits. "But we've been through this before, Baelfire. Have you remembered  _nothing_?" He drops the thick arrow to the ground, his hand feeling strange.

"I remembered plenty, that's why I didn't coat the tip." Magic travels up his arm to the rest of his body and Pan has to hand it to Baelfire. Very few are able to deceive Pan, but Baelfire has always been a smart boy. The Dark One and his son move quickly, Baelfire grabbing his son and Rumple taking Aveena.

"Well, how about that. I'm impressed. But are you sure you're really saving them, Bae?"

"What could be worse than leaving them here with you?"

"Why don't you ask your father?" The Shadow had told Pan everything it learned from Rumple all those nights it was disguised as the Dark One's lover. Pan knew that the boy would be Rumple's undoing and if Rumple was anything, he was a coward. "Sometimes the people we should fear the most are the one's closest to us."

"W-what's he talking about?" Baelfire looks to his father for answers, but Pan already knew that Rumple wouldn't tell him without some pushing.

"Don't listen to him," Rumple says, shooting Pan a worried look.

"You mean you haven't told him," Pan chuckles, frozen in his place by the squid ink that had been on the arrow shaft.

"Told me  _what_ ," Baelfire demands.

"Why, about the prophecy, of course."

"What prophecy? What's he mean?" The longer he makes them stay in the camp, the shorter time it will take to find them once the magic wears off and he can move again.

"The prophecy that says you've been tricked. Your father isn't here to rescue your son or even to rescue your sister. He's here to murder Henry and I'll bet he takes care of Aveena while he's at it so he doesn't have any more weaknesses than he can deal with." That last bit was a lie, but he could tell he wasn't completely wrong as desperation seeps into Rumple's dark eyes.

Rumple doesn't let the conversation go any further, using his magic to transport them to the other side of the island. Pan scoffs, looking around him at the sleeping boys in disgust. They had absolutely no resistance to magic, but Aveena shouldn't have been so easily knocked out by it. She was like a magnet, the magic was drawn to her and so she'd built up a small bit of immunity to its affects. He was certain she would wake up before the others, but it didn't matter, with that scarf on he could track her wherever she went.

**Aveena**

I wake up slowly as I feel the excess magic drain from my body into the island beneath me; I can't sit up yet, still feeling the dizzying aftereffects of the unexpected attack. Had Pan caused it somehow? It happened right after I had the scarf tied in place so it can't be a coincidence, can it? Raised voices gain my attention, my eyes cracking open just enough to see. Papa is standing by a fire and Neal is standing next to me. Wait a second, that can't be right. I shake my head a little, closing my eyes again, trying to convince myself that this is all a dream. "I'm gonna find Emma and the others," I vaguely hear my older brother saying a little bit before I feel him nudge me into a sitting position and pulling me onto the shoulder that Henry isn't on. Wow, he's stronger than he looks. "And get the hell off of this island, then I'm gonna get my family back home."

"You can't go into the jungle alone," I hear Papa warn," Without my power to protect you, Pan will capture you all!"

"I'm sorry, I got no choice; we're safer without you. Goodbye, Papa." And then the magic was pulling me under again, still not completely out of my system.

**Pan**

It wasn't hard to find them again and Pan knew Aveena would blame her brief wake up on a dream, so he didn't have to worry about that. "Emma," he hears Baelfire say, the younger man holding his hands over a fire pit. That's when Pan decides to make himself known, stepping out of the jungle and into the small clearing.

"You were so close to finding her," he states. Bae straightens up, turning to face Pan with a deer caught in the headlights expression as his Lost Boys surround them. "You disappoint me—I thought I taught you better. Never break in somewhere unless you know the way out."

"I'll remember that for next time."

"Well, there isn't going to be a next time, but don't blame yourself." Felix picks Henry up, leaving the brunette where she is on the ground for Pan to handle. "Your father could have protected you, sure, but then who would have protected Henry and Aveena from  _him_?" Pan picks up Aveena, carrying her like one would their bride. "Talk about a rock and a hard place." Baelfire moves forward, stopping close to Pan in what's supposed to be a threatening manner.

"I will get my son and sister back, no matter what it takes."

"You're not getting it. That's not the problem. You got them, I got them back—it's the game." He laughs a little, enjoying the chase and taunting. "No, my boy, the real problem for you is that there is no escaping Neverland. No one gets off this island without  _my_ permission." Bae gets a smug look and Pan can already see the direction his thoughts have taken.

"I've done it before." Pan cocks his head in question.

"Did you? Look where you are now. It's like you never left." Awareness has taken the place of the smugness now and Baelfire has finally caught on.

"You saying you  _let_ me go?"

"I'm saying everyone's where I want them." To emphasize his point, he shifts Aveena slightly in his arms. Henry lets out a small groan, letting everyone now he was about to wake up and they needed to get Baelfire out of here quick. "Something to chew on." Then to his boys," You know where to take him." Two of his boys grab Bae, dragging him out of the clearing kicking and screaming. "Oh, don't worry. It won't be for very long. Just until I reset the board." He turns, following after the rest. "See, the game is about to change.

The next time Aveena opens her eyes, they are back in camp and the boys are dancing round the fire again—Henry joining in this time instead of sitting away from the others. Pan's plan was going perfectly; Henry could hear the music, the Dark One was desperate, and Aveena was slowly falling for him. He helps her stand, tugging her over to the fire as her eyes clear up and the magic leaves her system.

"Come on, Aveena," he grins," come dance the night away."

 


	37. Chapter 37

I laugh with the other boys, jumping up and grabbing hold of a rope as Cubby does the same. "You ready, old man," I taunt, swinging in time with the rope. He grins in answer, the race beginning shortly after that. I climb quickly and skillfully, calling back on the days I spent outside and climbing the trees that surrounded Papa's castle. It doesn't take me long to reach the top, but Cubby is right behind me.

I slap the bell tied to the top of the rope before letting go and falling to the ground, barely managing to stay on my feet. "What was that," Cubby asks in surprise.

"I'm part monkey," I grin breathlessly. Henry's shout makes my smile disappear and my protective instinct kick into high gear. One of the older boys is poking at him with a spear, taunting him cruelly.

"If you can't take this," he sneers," how are you gonna handle what Pan has in store for you?" Henry stays silent, picking up a long stick that was laying by his feet and going on the attack with it. I move to the front of the crowd with Cubby right behind me, interested to see that the lessons he had with David and my brother has stuck in his head after all. The fight is relatively short, the other boy having a stronger sword arm than Henry and forcing him to be on defense.

"Not bad," Pan shrugs, appearing out of the jungle. The two boys take a few steps back from one another as all of our eyes land on the leader. He walks over to Henry with a small smirk playing on his lips. "But wouldn't it be more fun if you had real swords?"

"I've never used a real sword," Henry says, suddenly looking nervous.

"This is Neverland and  _you_ have the heart of the truest believer. You can use whatever you want. You just need to believe, Henry." He rests one hand on Henry's shoulder and uses the other to raise Henry's sword arm. "Close your eyes and believe you're holding a real sword." I let out a small gasp as the stick slowly transforms into a sword, a boring one, but a real one nonetheless. "What are you waiting for? Go on."

I move to Pan's side as Henry lunges forward, watching the fight with growing excitement. All of the Lost Boys—Pan and myself included—cheer for my nephew, the fight spurring everyone on. It only ends once Henry cuts through the spear and knocks the older boy down with a cut on his cheek to remember the fight by. "I'm sorry," he apologizes quickly when the other boys stands up again. "It was an accident."

"Henry, don't you know the best thing about being a Lost Boy?" Pan walks forward again, looking proud as he picks up the sword and examines it before handing it back to its owner. "We never apologize." The Lost Boys start their cheering again and I skip forward, wrapping my nephew in a tight hug. "You're learning quickly, that's good." Henry grins, his chest puffed out with pride.

"You did great, Squirt." I ruffle his hair, grinning when he pushes my hand away. "Now." I turn on Pan. "I believe I am retiring for the evening, it's much too cold to be outside in this outfit." Pan grins, pulling me against him tightly and leaning in for a quick kiss.

"Mm, maybe later I could warm you up?"

"Not a chance, Romeo." I giggle, pushing his chest playfully. "That's not happening until I decide otherwise." Pan chuckles and I can feel his eyes on me as I walk away. I bite my lip, wondering if I'm doing the right thing. Sighing, I scramble up the ladder and to my room inside the hollowed out tree placed in the center of camp. There's no point in a mental debate tonight; that can wait until tomorrow when Pan and I return to our cave. I make quick work of the corset, tossing it across the room before curling up in my warm bed. What's the point of those thoughts anyway? The only parent I have isn't here, the only reason Hook is here is because he wants in Emma's pants.

**Pan**

"Don't pull him up yet," Pan instructs, waiting for the pirate to turn and face him. "I want to talk. Alone." Hook drops the vine rope, walking towards the slope Pan is standing on.

"What do you want?"

"To offer you a deal. Come back and work for me like the old days."

"I don't miss the old days."

"What if I were to offer you something very hard to come by?" He uses his magic to appear directly in front of the Captain. "Passage off the island."

"Still not interested."

"What if I were to sweeten the deal? You can take someone with you—Aveena." Hook shakes his head, but Pan can see he wants this deal badly.

"My daughter would never leave her nephew."

"I could remove all of her memories of him, of the Dark One. You can be her father again, don't you want that? We've know each other a very long time, Killian. We've done business before and I think this is the perfect time to restart that relationship."

"What if I'm not interested?"

"Of course you are. Because that's what I've always liked about you; you're good at surviving." He can see the pirates resolve beginning to crumble.

"What do you want me to do?"

"You'll be in my employ. Do my dirty work."

"What dirty work?"

"When the time comes, I'll let you know. But first, I need a signal that you've taken my deal."

"So my word right now wouldn't be good enough?"

"You know me," Pan grins and uses his magic to get behind Hook. "I like action. I'll know you've taken my deal when I see the Prince's dead body up on that peak." Hook turns to look at him again, looking like a broken man that has very few choices left.

"Well, you'll see that anyway. He's on his last legs, thanks to Dreamshade."

"I want to see you kill him before the poison." He moves around Hook while he continues talking. "I want to see your hook inside his body."

"And what if I don't take your offer?" Pan leans in to whisper in Hook's ear.

"Remember that last time you didn't listen to me? Remember that I'm the one that's holding your precious daughter in my camp? Women are such fragile creatures and she's taken so much abuse all ready, I wonder how much more before she shatters." He shoves Hook's flask into his hands. "Have a drink. You know it always helps you think." He disappears, leaving Hook to explain to the Prince why he never lowered their makeshift rope.

* * *

Pan clears his throat, leveling Hook with a glare that would make the bravest men beg for mercy twice. "You really should have taken my deal." Hook lowers his flask, his head lowered for a moment before meeting Pan's glare head on.

"It doesn't look as though I need your help after all, mate."

"What, you think that now the Prince is back in good shape that you have even the smallest chance of getting Aveena?"

"I do. I think it's the reason you wanted the Prince to die so badly in the first place. She'll be overjoyed when I get her away from you and see who I really am."

"Really, is that why she willingly kissed me a few nights ago, why she's always excited when I return to camp? And besides, what is there for her to see in you?" He smiles and shakes his head. "A one-handed pirate with a drinking problem. I'm no grown-up, but I'm pretty sure you're not the type of father she needs."

"A man of honor."

"So tell me." Pan kneels down in front of him, feeling smug as he rubbed everything in Hook's face. "What would a 'man of honor' such as yourself do with a big, fat secret?"

"Well, that depends what the secret is."

"Baelfire." Pan stands again, liking the fact that he was higher up than Hook for this one time and liking the expression on Hook's face even more. "Neal—whatever name he goes by these days. The guy Emma loves, Henry's father, Aveena's brother."

"What of him?" Hook stands, looking down at Pan in a manner of a man adrift at sea. "He's dead."

"No, I'm afraid not. He's alive. That's not even the best part." Pan turns walking a few feet before turning again with a smile. "He's in Neverland."

"Is he?"

"Oh yes. Can you believe it? I'm sure Emma would love to know that Henry's father is still alive, but I'd hate for that to get in the way of a budding romance. So I'll leave it up to you….To tell her or not." Pan walks a few more feet, stopping briefly to tell Hook one last tidbit. "Let's see what kind of man you  _really_ are." He disappears, following the path he knew his Lost Boys were taking. "How's our guest," he asks once he catches up with the small group, looking down in the bamboo cage that Bae is stuffed in.

"We drugged him," Felix answers obediently," he'll be asleep for a while. Where do you want him?"

"Hang him up over there." He jerks his chin in the direction he wants Bae placed before grinning impishly at his captive. "Next to the other one."


	38. Chapter 38

I didn't expect to see Pan sitting in our cave when I took a break from swimming, but there he was, sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him and his back against the smooth wall. "What on earth are you wearing," he chuckles, looking me over appreciatively.

"It's called a swim suit," I answer, sitting on the edge of where the cave joins the water, kicking my feet back and forth gently. The suit is a one piece and relative modest, a blue that almost matches my eyes. "I got bored in the camp and decided to go swimming while you were away."

"I can see that." He seems to be in a good mood and that makes everything easier. "Come here, I have a surprise for you." Curiosity gets the better of me as I stand up and walk over where he's now standing, using magic to dry off completely so I don't get him wet when he turns my back to him and rests his hands on my upper arms. "Close your eyes," he whispers in my ear, his warm breath making me shiver. I do as he said, closing my eyes as I feel his magic swirl around me—the feel of it uncomfortable when compared to Papa's or the magic I siphon off and twist into my own. "Open them."

I look around the cave, not seeing anything that wasn't already there. "What am I supposed to be looking at?" An old fashioned mirror appears in front of me, reflecting my image back at me. My long hair was no longer hanging down my back in tangles and my swim suit had changed as well. The top part of my hair is tied out of my face by a braid and the rest of it falls in soft curls that looked natural and stunning with a few diamonds threaded throughout it. My swim suit has transformed into a strapless white dress that brushed the cave floor, a gauzy bit of matching fabric over that and some purple flowers sewn onto it regularly until just below my waist where they form single lines until my knees.

"Do you like it?"

"I look like a Princess." This dress would make any woman feel beautiful, the soft fabric clinging to my breasts where it was held in place, but billowing out from there. It was a dress Papa might have had made for me back in the Enchanted Forest, though there would have been sleeves and not nearly as much cleavage revealed.

"No, Aveena, you look like a  _Queen_." He wraps his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder as I study his face in the mirror. He was smiling, but something about that smile brought back old feelings of fear. He must see it in my eyes because with a simple wave of his hand, the mirror vanishes and I'm left staring at the wall. "How would you like to be my Queen?"

"I…." The fear I felt was like a living thing, cutting off my air and making the faith I had in Pan waver. "Ah, I don't…." Suddenly the feeling of his arms around made me feel sick to my stomach. I just want that old kindergarten rule of no touching to come into play, but if I do that now what would happen?

"What is it?" He turns me to face him, one arm still keeping me against him and the fingers of his free hand tilting my chin up so that I look at him. His brows are drawn together as he studies me, his eyes still holding that strange darkness that made my skin crawl.

"I want to go back to the camp." Pan's eyes harden, a scowl marring his handsome features. "Please, I just want to go back to the camp with Hen—"

**Pan**

Pan glares down at Aveena's unconscious body lying on the ground. He'd seen the unimaginable terror in her eyes as her faith in her father returned, he'd seen the love she felt dim a little before he made the mirror vanish. He had to admit that she truly did look nice in the gown, more like a woman than a girl. "You actually did it."

"Did you doubt I would," he asks as Felix steps into the cave. The blonde boy gives Pan a lazy grin, setting his club down so he could pick Aveena up. "Put her in a cage next to her brother, let's give our Captain some hope before we break him."

"Aren't you afraid that she won't want to return to you?"

"She's had a taste of the darkness, Felix, one cannot walk away from it—they continue to crave more and I'm the only one who can give it to her." He smirks darkly, walking towards the back of the cave as Felix leaves. The back wall slides away to reveal a smaller room that held the objects that washed up on the shore from other lands.

**Hook**

The last thing Killian expected when he stepped into the cave was that there would be two cages set on the thick pillar in the middle of the cave. "Emma!" Neal's shout echoes through the cave and Emma takes a step back, close to tears. Killian stands to the side, trying to see who was in the second cage despite the knot in his stomach.

"It must be a hundred feet across," Snow says.

"Even if we fashioned some rope, there's nothing to attach it to," the Prince adds. "No way to swing over."

"So what do we do," Emma asks determinedly.

"I told you what needs to be done," Killian answers, spotting a flash of blue in the second cage that may have been eyes fluttering open. "Consider this the moment of truth, literally. Now…" He turns to face the family with a sarcastic smile. "Who wants to kick things off?"

"So what, someone tells their secret and they sprout wings?"

"I don't know the particulars, only what I've been told."

"Well, how do you know it'll work," David asks.

With a sigh, Killian steps up to the ledge, thinking through all his dirty little secrets until he finds one that might work. "There's only one way to find out, I suppose." He lets out a sigh, unable to look at Neal, so he faces the Charmings again. "I kissed Emma."

"You did what?!"

"David," Snow admonishes," now is not the time."

"I already told Mary-Margret, so technically it's not a secret," Emma shrugs. "But it was just a kiss. How's that your darkest secret?"

"It's what the kiss exposed," he says softly. "My secret is, I never thought I'd be capable of letting go of my first love—of my Milah—to believe that I could find someone else that is, until I met you." A rumble makes them all jerk and turn as part of a ledge grows from the pillar towards them. It doesn't come all the way, but it lets them know they're on the right track.

"I'm next," Snow says breathlessly. "Ever since the curse broke, since we found each other, since we found Emma….And all of that happiness, there is something I haven't wanted to admit. Our daughter is a beautiful, smart, amazing woman whom I love very much, and of whom I could not be more proud. But she's all grown up. And…." She begins to tear up, the emotions making Killian feel uncomfortable. "As much as I wanna pretend I'm okay with that, I'm not. We missed it, David. What we have with her is unique, but it's not what I wanted. We were cheated out of everything—her first step, her first word, her first smile. We missed it all."

"What are you saying," David asks sadly.

"When we get off this island and get back to Storybrooke, I want another go at it. I wanna have another baby." The rumble starts up again and the ledge has grown closer to them.

"Nothing in this world would make me happier, and I know with all my heart that you would make and amazing mother." Killian was feeling guilty now, he had saved the Prince, but in return, the Prince was stuck on Neverland. "But it can never happen….At least not with me."

"What do you mean?"

"When Hook and I went to search for the sextant, he was really taking me to find a cure."

"A cure for  _what_?" Oh great, now the woman is angry. Killian sighs, wondering if his daughter's moods were as changeable.

"Dreamshade."

"The Lost Boys, the arrow—you pushed me out of the way—"

"I wasn't fast enough. I was hit. Hook was able to find a cure, but it comes at a price. I can't leave Neverland. If I do, I'll die." The ledge joins their perch now, forming a bridge to Neal and Aveena. Emma unsheathes the sword Killian had given her, leading the way across with hesitant steps. Killian follows after her and kneels in front of the second cage. Aveena stares up at him, her half-closed eyes telling him she's only just woken up from a magical sleep.

"Dad," she asks, a sleepy tone in her voice.

"Yeah," he smiles," it's me, sweetheart. Just hold on a moment and I'll have you out of here." He jumps when Emma begins hitting Neal's cage with her sword, doing no damage. He lets Neal deal with her while he focuses on his daughter.

"Wha-what's your secret?"

"My secret is that….For the first two years after you were taken I didn't search for you." He swallows hard, forcing back his tears. "I just stayed in my cabin and let Smee take care of everything while I got drunk. I never thought I would see you again because I couldn't picture having you here without your mother, I wanted the Dark One to kill all of us so we could be together. And when I got you back in Storybrooke, I wanted my revenge more than I wanted you, but now I don't care…I just want my little girl back."

The front of her cage dissolves and Killian pulls her out into his arms, holding her tightly as Pan's magic wore off a little more. "You're so stupid." Killian's heart clenches, afraid of what she would say and if he truly wanted to hear it. "Smee can barely tie his own shoes let alone take care of the  _Jolly Roger_." He chuckles, picking her up in his arms and carrying her across to the exit of the cave. Once everyone was outside again, the animal come running up, jumping on Killian's legs until he sat Aveena down on their level.

She laughs, hugging the cat and dog and letting them sit in her lap despite the fact that Pup was taller than her when he stood on his hind legs. "Thank you," Neal says genuinely with a smile.

"Well, don't thank us yet," David says. "We still have to save Henry."

"We found your star map," Killian speaks up. "So the real question is, do you know how to get off this island?"

"If we can find Henry, I can get us home," Neal confirms.

"Well, let's go get Tinker Bell and retrieve the boy. I want my daughter off this island and away from that demon as soon as possible." He helps Aveena to stand and walks after her along the twisting path in the jungle, letting her, the Prince, and Snow go in front of him while he hung back to make sure the other two in their group didn't get lost.

"I have a secret too, Emma," he hears Neal say," I'm ever gonna stop fighting for you. Never." He can't help the jealousy that rips though him, not wanting to lose another woman he cares for slip through his fingers.

Killian wants Emma and he'll have her in the end.

 


	39. Chapter 39

"Pan's shadow," Emma asks incredulously," that's your way off the island?" I look up at my brother from my spot on the ground, constantly having to push Pup's head away so he'd stop trying to eat the flowers on my dress.

"Unfortunately it's the only way," Neal shrugs.

"Oh," David says in disappointment," we though you learnt how to navigate the stars."

"I know how to navigate the stars, but I can't fly."

"Pan's shadow can," I pipe up. "It brought Cubby here a few days' ago before disappearing back into the jungle, but I don't think it is strictly Pan's." Hook gives me a look, nodding his head for me to continue my theory. "Papa and Pan both have called me a magnet for magic, I absorb it and make it my own—I know what magic belongs where and that shadow doesn't entirely belong to Pan. It feels older than he does, like it's been around since Neverland's beginning."

"So, what does that have to do with us getting the Shadow," Mary Margaret asks.

"Unlike ours, Pan's shadow resides elsewhere in the jungle," Neal says, taking over the explanation again. "As long as we know where to find it, we've got a chance." He pauses to make sure the information has sunk in. "I know where to find it."

"Okay," Emma breathes," you and I are on Shadow duty."

"As am I," Hook says, stepping forward as Emma and Neal stand up. "This trek won't be easy. You could use another veteran of the island."

"I'm coming too," I say, standing and wiping the dirt off my dress. "Those two lovebirds behind me have a bad habit of confessing their love in drawn out speeches at random moments, so I'm not about to deal with that any more than I have to." Pup barks as though in agreement. "Pup stays with Snow and Fidget comes with us." Hook looks hesitant, but gives in all the same.

"In the meantime," David says," we'll give Tinker Bell a heads up. See if she can make good on her promise to get us into Pan's camp."

"Okay, we meet back at Tink's," Emma nods. "Then we get Henry and get the hell back to Storybrooke." The group breaks up camp, leaving me with nothing to do except pace around until they're finished. My magic is basically useless without Pan around, it's like he's keeping the island from giving me a magical boost.

"Vee." I look up at Hook as he walks over to me, a small dagger in his hand. "Are you sure you want to go with us to Dark Hollow? It's dangerous and something bad could happen."

"Something bad is going to happen no matter who I go with, so I'd rather stay with the group that isn't fighting each other." I look past Hook as Snow storms away from her husband. "You guys will be less awkward I hope." Hook smiles, holding the dagger out for me to take. "What's this?"

"So you can protect yourself. I've seen you with that sword of yours, so a little dagger should be easy." I smile, holding the dagger in both hands and looking up at Hook, but he appeared frozen, his mouth opened as if to speak.

"Hook?"

"He can't talk to you, Aveena." I turn and find Pan standing behind me, an arrogant smirk playing on his lips. "None of them can hear you or even move until I decide they can." I try to back up, but only succeed in backing into Hook. With a flick of Pan's wrist, Hook's arms wrap around me and keep me where I am as Pan advances. "Are you happy to be back with your father or would you rather come back to camp with me?" I snort at that, fighting to get out of Hook's arms with no success.

"I'd rather watch Twilight and have my eyes bleed than go back with you!"

"Don't be like that, Vee." I wince when he calls me that, the name sounding wrong when he spoke it, twisted and dark. The only person who can call me Vee and have it come out normal is Hook, and I don't necessarily know if that's a good thing or not. "Don't you miss the other boys?" He twirls a strand of my hair around a finger, tugging just hard enough to make it sting, but not enough to pull the hair out. "Don't you miss me?"

"I've missed a lot of things in my life, Pan, and you're not on the list."

"Are you sure?" His lips hover over mine, brushing them with every word he speaks. "Because I miss you and so does your nephew." He places a chaste kiss on my lips before stepping back. "You know how to find the camp, come back when you've made up your mind." And then he was gone and everything is back to normal with Hook finishing what he was about to say.

"I have a pistol too…." He trails off, looking down at me with confusion. "Eh, when did this happen?"

"It's complicated," I grumble, pushing his arms off me and taking a step back to put a little space between us. "Um, if we get off the island in one piece, would you tell me more about my mom?" My request makes him smile and nod.

"You guys ready," Neal asks, walking over to join us.

"As I'll ever be." He looks down at me, resting a hand on my shoulder and squeezing it reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Kiddo, I'll get us all off this island."  _The only way we leave Neverland is if Pan lets us, and I doubt he'll let me and Henry go without putting up one hell of a fight_. "Come on and stay close, alright?"

"Yessir." I give him a mock salute, following closely behind them as I was told.

* * *

"Something tells me we won't find Pan's Shadow in here, mate," Hooks says doubtfully as we enter the cave my brother lived in while stuck on the island.

"Yeah, well, we're looking for something else," Neal responds, digging through the trunks for something. It's a—it's a coconut carved in two. One part holds a candle the other part goes on top of it."

"Yeah, your star map. We hid it—I'll go grab it." Emma runs off, leaving the two men and me in the cave.

"I can't believe you got your own house when I was forced to stay in that stupid tree with Pan and Felix," I complain, hopping up on the little wooden table in the middle of the room next to the lantern. "Even when I was being good, I didn't get my own place and I usually had to sleep next to Pan." Hook's brows shoot up in surprise, his face turning a light shade of red in anger. "Don't worry, the most we ever did was kiss, and besides, he snores."

"W-Why did you kiss Pan," my brother asks.

"I dunno, sounded like a good idea back then." I shrug, looking down at my hands and swinging my legs back and forth as I ignore the men's surprised stares.  _If I want to kiss a guy, I'll kiss him, simple as that_.

"I owe you thanks for being so understanding," Hook tells Neal in order to change topics.

"Understanding about what," Neal asks.

"Emma and me." Emma and who now? I look up at Hook with wide eyes, praying he was talking about what I think he's talking about.

"Emma and you?"

"Our dalliance." Hook and Neal stare at each other for a moment, understanding filling Hook's eyes. "You don't know, do you? Well, this is awkward." This is beyond normal level of awkward, this is calling your teacher 'mom' awkward. "The two of us shared a kiss. Apologies, I assumed she told you." Neal looks heartbroken and I can't help but to be upset with Emma in that moment. _Is it so hard for her to keep her hands to herself? Shit, people, we learned this in preschool!_

"Honestly, it probably….Slipped her mind. We're kind of focused on getting our son back."

"Of course."  _Oh shit, are they gonna have a duel over who gets to keep Emma_? The woman in question walks back into the cave with a smile, the coconut in hand.

"Everything alright," she asks when we all turn to stare at her—Hook with slight guilt, Neal with sadness, and me with a keep-it-in-you-pants-you-tramp scowl.

"Couldn't be better," Neal answers.

"Here it is, your star map." She holds the coconut out for Neal to take, my brother shoving it in his satchel.

"It's not my star map, it's what we're gonna use to trap Pan's Shadow."

"A coconut," Hook asks," are you daft?"

"You came to Neverland on a pirate ship through a portal, but draw the line at a magic coconut?"

"The man has a point," I say with a smile. Neal grins, helping me off the table and handing me a lantern. "So, where to next on this lovely family vacation of ours, brother dear?"

"Dark Hollow."

"Really," Emma asks, her exasperated tone reminding me of Ron from Chamber of Secrets. "Why couldn't it be called something like Sunshine Valley of Rainbow Cove?"  _Because Pan doesn't have a cute and cuddly thought in that twisted little mind of his_. "What exactly is it?"

"Just what it sounds like," Hook answers," the darkest spot on the entire island. Any light that makes its way in is snuffed out by the shadows that call it home. Even I managed to avoid it."

"So, downtown Storybrooke," I guess," without the helpfulness of the creepy blind guy that lives next to the bar?"

"Why would you be anywhere near a bar?"

"I went through a rebellious phase. I might pick that phase back up when we get back, Jack Daniels might help me out a little bit." The last part is a grumble as I follow the others out, earning a slap to the back of my head and a flick to the forehead from both Neal and Hook. "Oh, great, the old people are teaming up against me now."

"I am not old."

"Yes you are. I bet you played baseball with Jesus and the dinosaurs." Emma snorts, letting Neal lead the way with Hook bringing up the end. I wish I was home right now, I could be sprawled out on my bed and watching the wacky misadventures and bromance of the Winchesters instead of fighting for my life and dealing with a cranky cat. Fidget peaks his head out of my backpack and rests his chin on my shoulder, letting out a small meow. "I know, boy, just a little bit longer."

I scratch the top of his head, feeling happy when I hear his contented purring. Our groups comes to a standstill in front of a tangle of vines. "We're gonna have to cut our way through," Neal informs us tiredly.

"Here, use this." Emma pulls out her cutlass and hands it over to my brother.

"My cutlass, you found it in the cave?"

"No, Hook gave it to me."

"Since when are you sentimental?"

"I thought Emma would wish to have something to remember you by," he answers begrudgingly.

"Thanks, but she has me now."

"Great," I mumble, moving past Emma and after my brother," maybe I picked the wrong group to go with after all." When I finally catch up with him, he's on his way back in the direction we just came from. "Please tell me you didn't get us lost and we have to go the other way."

"I didn't get us lost," he promises. "But I do need to go grab the other two." I plop down on the trail, taking Fidget out of my pack and setting him on my lap. "Really, you're just gonna sit on the trail and let me interrupt their moment?"

"Sweetie, I may be your little sister, but I'm not doing your dirty work. Go grab 'em and I'll be here when you break them apart. Oh, and try not to kill Hook if they're sucking face again, because we might need him later." Neal rolls his eyes, walking back the way I had just come from while I stay put and pet my cat. When they make their way back, I get up and put Fidget back in the bag to keep him safe, following the group to an ominous tangle of dead trees and vines that seems to make up a nest or a ball of some sort.

A sudden wind blows out the flames in our lanterns, leaving us with the darkness and strange red light. "Dark Hollow."

"So this is where the victims of Pan's Shadow reside," Hook says, making sure to stay directly behind me.

"Yeah—forced to spend eternity in this darkness. Let's be sure not to join them."

"Remind me to check Dark Hollow off my list of places I never wanted to visit but had to anyway," I whisper to Emma.

"Only if you remind me to do the same," she whispers back. We stop in a clearing of sorts, the strange red glow mixing with the blackness and turning our surroundings orange. "So we just wait for Pan's Shadow to show up?"

"Yeah," Neal nods," and when it does we'll be prepared." He brings the coconut out of his satchel.

"You wanna tell me how that coconut works?"

"We light the candle and the Shadow's drawn to it." He sets both halves down on a fallen tree. "When it gets close enough, the flame will suck it in, put the lid on, then it's trapped inside this bad boy."

"A fine plan," Hook admits. "Apart for one thing, our lanterns went out. How the devil are we supposed to light the bloody thing?"  _Is it possible for him to sound any more British than he did in that second?_ Neal holds up a Zippo lighter with a smug grin.

"Welcome to the twenty-first century." When Neal fails time and again to light the candle, Hook steps in, which leads the boys fighting over it and losing the lighter. I throw my hands up in the air in frustration.

"Is no really the time for a pissing contest," I yell. Emma gathers up the coconut as a loud roar sounds seconds before three shadows come out of the trees. "The Shadow's here and it brought friends!" The shadows strike out at us, pinning Hook and Neal against trees, me to the ground, and cornering Emma. I thought I knew pain, but every bit of it I've felt over the years was nothing compared to how it feels when your shadows is being torn off you.

I arch in pain under a shadow's hands, screaming out and begging for it all to stop. I never asked for this shit, I don't want this! I can feel every little tear as my shadow is tugged away from my body, leaving no physical wounds but plenty of mental scarring. Suddenly it all stops and my body falls back to the earth, my shadow disappearing back where it belongs and my breaths coming out as panicked gasps. "How did you do that," Neal asks breathlessly.

"Regina," Emma answers, holding the coconut tightly. I let out a groan, rolling onto my side and pushing myself into a sitting position with shaky arms.

"She's teaching you magic?"

"Yeah, I guess she is."

The trek back to Tink's camp is a long and awkward one, Emma giving the boys the cold shoulder, the boys looking like puppies that have just been kicked, and me feeling as though I just got ran over by a bus a couple of hundred times. "H-hey, hey," Neal calls out. "I'm sorry, I know I screwed up."

"Yes, you did," Emma agrees, turning to face us," you  _both_ did. We almost lost our shot at capturing the Shadow and our lives because you two were fighting over a  _lighter."_

"It wasn't the lighter we were fighting over, love," Hook clarifies. I glare at Hook, stomping his foot as hard as I can and grinding the heel of my shoe on his toes so I know I hurt him. He grimaces, pulling his foot back with a whimper.

"Okay, let me be very clear about one thing. If I had to choose someone...I choose Henry. He's the only love I have room for in my life." I cross my arms over my chest, giving my father and brother a  _you should be ashamed of yourself_  look. "And Morgan because she's the only one on this group that hasn't started a fight." Hot damn, I'm winning the blonde over. Emma takes the lead again, leaving the rest of us to follow behind her into the clearing where Tink, Pup, David, and Snow are waiting for us.

"We got the Shadow," Neal says with a smile. "Been a long time, Tink."

"Bae," the dirt covered fairy asks," Is it really you?"

"Yeah, but most people call me Neal now."

"We did it," Hooks says sourly, interrupting the reunion. "Are you finally ready to do your part, Tink?"

"She'll do her part or I'll break her face," I state firmly, giving the fairy a hard stare. "Enough running around the island, let's get Henry and go."

 


	40. Chapter 40

**Enchanted Forest—Past**

Rumple looks around him at the other children the orphanage held, some younger than him and others older, but only a select few were of an age with him. One of the older boys noticed his distressed expression and came over to him, bending down so Rumple wouldn't be forced to look up at him. "What's your name," the boy asks with a friendly smile.

"R-Rumpelstiltskin," he stutters nervously, shying away slightly. Most kids here didn't pay him any attention since he arrived here a few days past.

"I'm Thomas." The boy's smile made Rumple want to trust him, made Rumple want to tell the boy everything. "You don't have to be afraid, Rumpelstiltskin, this is a good place for children. I've been here since I was little like you." He smiles, holding up a straw doll with a blue coat made for it. "Here, this doll will keep you nice and safe."

"It will?"

"It kept me safe." Thomas shrugs a shoulder, standing and leading Rumple to his new room. "We'll be sharing a room from now on since the boy you were sharing with got adopted yesterday."

**Neverland—Present**

I follow behind Hook, Fidget in my arms and Pup running up beside Tink. We've been walking for what seems like hours and my feet feel like they're about to fall off if I take another step. Pan had popped up again last night when everyone else was sleeping to see if I wanted to join him back at the camp, but I declined again. It's getting harder to do that though, there is still something about him that continually draws me in. Is that what makes Belle love Papa, the darkness that's as compelling as it is frightening?

Well, my sex ed teacher did say girls are usually attracted to a guy that shares some qualities with the prominent male figure in their lives, and I've been surrounded in that darkness all my life. "What are you thinking about," Hook asks, holding my hand in one of his larger ones. It felt nice and not as forced as I had expected.

"Nothing much," I shrug," just how much I'll love it when I get real clothes and I won't have to walk around in this damn dress." It might have been appealing when all I did was sit around Pan's camp, but it wasn't made for walking around the jungle. From my waist down, the delicate white material is stained and ripped from where vines and thorns had caught it. "What about you?"

"Mostly about what to tell you about Milah." He smiles down at me, a genuine smile and not the sarcastic ones he gives the people in our group. "She was quite a woman, one hell of a pirate. She could be terrifying when she was angry, any man would fear for his life if her anger turned on him—you got that from her."

"What'd I get from you?"

"My looks, obviously." I smack him playfully with a laugh. "You did get my sarcasm and apparently you inherited my penchant for drinking and sword fighting." He lets go of my hand and wraps his arm around my shoulders, tugging until we were basically hugging while walking. "You have your mother's singing voice, but whenever you talk I hear myself more than I hear her."

"Not necessarily a good thing."

"No, it's not." Rustling leaves make all of us come to a standstill, Hook forcing me to get behind him as he and the others form a protective line in front of me with their weapons drawn. Instead of a terrible beasty like we were expecting, Regina and Papa step out of the tree line into our view, Regina giving us an unimpressed look.

"Well, if this is your version of a rescue party, we got here just in time," she says smugly.

"What are you two doing here," Snow asks as I push past them and run straight for Papa, nearly sending us both to the ground when I tackle-hug him. He hugs me back just as tightly, his head resting on top of mine.

"Same as you, except we actually have a chance. Pandora's box." I pull back, just now noticing the little metal box Papa has in his hands. "It could trap Pan for eternity simply by opening the lid."  _Yeah, or it could suck one of us in instead_.  _Am I the only one on this godforsaken island that thinks things though?_

"You didn't tell me my father was with her," Neal mutters to Emma loud enough for all of us to hear. Papa's expression changes from relief to sadness, the same sadness I always saw in his eyes when he looked at Neal's room. He really wanted to make things right, but my brother wasn't giving him the chance.

"We didn't know," Emma assures him.

"Wait," Tinker Bell says," your father's the Dark One?"

"Yeah," Neal nods," and he's not getting anywhere near Henry." I look at Neal in confusion, knowing my papa wouldn't do anything to hurt Henry no matter what. "Morgan, you need to get back over here and away from him."

"No, I just got back to him," I say resolutely. "Why would I move away now?"

"There's a prophecy that says Henry will be his undoing, and you're just another loose end in his eyes. He didn't come here to protect Henry, he came here to kill him." Regina takes a quick step away from Papa, but I stay where I am, having known the prophecy all my life but just now connecting the dots.

"That's why you didn't want to find Neal before you got Henry back," Regina says in understanding. "Because you knew he'd spill your secret." Regina shakes her head slowly, grabbing my arm and yanking me away from him and pushing me over to Hook. My father wraps an arm around me to keep me where I am, his grip not tight enough to hurt, but enough that it does me no good to struggle. "It also makes sense about why you wanted to close off the only way for them to get back from the Enchanted Forest. You had Belle and you didn't need a daughter getting in the way."

That tidbit of information gives me pause, looking at Papa in disbelief.  _He wouldn't have done that, would he? That could have killed us all and he would've been the cause for that, but could he really prioritize my death so easily?_  A guilty desperation is in his eyes as he stares at all of us imploringly. "Everything I did was to protect my daughter and grandson," he tells us," to rescue them from Pan."

"It all makes sense," Emma adds, raising her cutlass again. "You left before we even made shore." The weapons make a reappearance as they all came to the same conclusion.

"You wanted to get to them first," Mary Margaret starts.

"To be on their own," David adds.

"So no one could stop you," Hook continues, pushing me behind him again as he draws his sword.

"So you can kill them," Regina finishes.

"It's not gonna happen," Emma states," not unless you go through all of us first."

**Enchanted Forest—Past**

Thomas watches Rumple spin, the two owners of the orphanage—sisters—stand on either side of him and watch on as well. He was good, better than Thomas could ever hope to be, but he also had the burden of his father to bear. A drunk and a cheat, the man had gotten himself killed and left his son nothing but his bad reputation.

The only way the boy would find any honest work was to get away from this place, from this realm. Thomas had a good idea of where that could be, they could go to that place they always visited together in their dreams.

They could travel to Neverland and stay there forever with the help of the bean the sisters had just given Rumple.

**Neverland—Present**

"You're making a mistake," Papa tells us. "I don't care if the boy is destined to be my undoing or if my daughter takes some of my time away from Belle. I won't hurt them."

"Because that sounds just like you," Regina says sarcastically.

"Without me, you _will_ fail. I'm the most powerful amongst us."

"That's why we can't trust you," Neal points out.

"If I could give you my dagger, I would, but I can't."

"But you  _can_ give me Pandora's Box. I don't have to trust you if I can stop you." I peak through the space between Hook and Tink at Papa, noticing the way he tightens his grip on the box. He wants to be the hero for once, he wants to be the one who sets things right, but Neal won't let him do that because he's as untrustworthy as they come.

"Son…." Resigned, he puts the small box in Neal's outstretched hand.

"Look at me, you so much as lift a finger to preform magic, you're gonna spend an eternity in this box." The weapons disappear again as Emma takes the lead, Hook holding tightly to my hand so that I am forced to walk with him and not Papa.

**Neverland—Past**

Rumple looks around him at the carnage Peter had caused, the people surrounding him either dead or dying. Moans fill the air in place of the usual cheerful laughs, the camp burned to the ground. Pan grins at his work, blood spattered across him face and clothing, making him look like the monster Rumple always imagined was hiding under his bed. "What have you done," he yells, cradling a child's body in his arms.

"I did what was needed," Pan answers indifferently. "I took back the island from these savages. We're in control now, laddie, we're the Kings of Neverland!" The moans die down, leaving an eerie silence in their stead.

"No, Neverland has no King! It's just you." Pan nods and the Shadow swoops down, picking Rumple up and making him drop the child.

"Take him back to the other realm, I don't need him interfering with my plans." The next thing Rumple knows, he's in the alley behind his old orphanage. He stares up at the familiar blue sky, his body aching from the fall he had suffered and the sudden shift between realms.

"Are you alright," a feminine voice asks. He turns his head slightly, finding the most beautiful woman he's even seen kneeling at his side. Her dark hair fell in soft waves down her back and her dress clung slightly to her skinny frame. Her kind blue eyes are what got his attention, the warmth held there enough to make him know that this woman would not willingly hurt another.

"I'm fine," he answers, letting her help him to sit up. "My name is Rumple."

"I'm Milah."

**Neverland—Present**

"We need to talk," Emma says, tugging on Hook's arm.

"I've found when a woman says that, I'm rarely in for a pleasant conversation," Hook replies tiredly. "Vee, go catch to one of the others." I nod, moving past the others until I near the front of the group where Pup was running around and Fidget was clinging tightly to the dog's back. I didn't notice anything strange was going on until I felt the familiar pull of Pan's magic and ran face first into David's back.

Everyone was frozen again with the only exceptions being Pan and me. "What now," I groan, exhausted and just wanting a break.

"I wanted to see if you've changed your mind since last we spoke."

"It's been four hours, dude."

"Four hours is a long time for you to think about what you want." He moves over to me, one of his hands resting on the small of my back. "I want you by my side, Aveena. I need you to rule this world at my side as my Queen." The words were sugar-coated poison, I knew that, but I still felt a slight pulling in my chest. I'm pretty sure I'm not having a heart attack, so could this be the beginnings of attraction?

Who am I kidding? This guy is gorgeous and if I didn't know who he was, I would probably jump at the chance to do anything with him. But I do know who he is, and at this particular moment in time, I just really want to punch him in the throat to get him away from me. "Sorry, I'm not Queen material. In case you haven't heard, I'm just a small town girl and we tend to stay under the radar."

"Oh, you're more than that, Aveena." He smiles down at me, a dark one that had butterflies cage fighting in my stomach. "You're beautiful and I'll win you over to my side."

"Do I look like a character in every young adult book ever? Sorry, but I'm not choosing some twisted jackass over my own family."

"What if you didn't have to choose?"

"What do you mean?"

"We can all stay on Neverland once Henry cures it. None of us never need leave and you can finally get time enough to get to know your biological father."

"Yeah," I scoff," if my adoptive papa doesn't gut him with his own hook."

"Come with me and at least see your nephew. He's been asking about you a lot here lately and while you're away from this group, you can have time to yourself to think."

"Maybe I wouldn't have to think if you didn't lock me in a cage!"

"You needed to hear Hook's secret, the one he kept silent about since you were taken from him. You needed to know that he didn't look for you until he was older so you could reach a new step in your relationship." I take a step away from him, crossing my arms with a pout on my face. "What is it?"

"I don't like it when you make sense, it's weird and unnatural." He laughs softly, giving me my space. The familiar magic of Neverland wraps around me like a blanket and the next thing I know my clothes have been changed yet again, this time into something comfortable. I wore a black tee shirt, jeans, a Stitch hoodie, and boots. My hair still hung loose down my back, but I can tell from the slight heaviness of my eyes and the slightly foreign feeling on my lips that I'm wearing makeup. "Thanks, I guess."

"You look much more at ease in these clothes, though I do prefer the gowns to jeans."

"Get over it; my body, my decisions."

"Will you come with me? Will you come put your nephew's mind at ease?"

"Might as well, I suppose. It'll get me away from the awkward love triangle for a little while." I shrug, taking his outstretched hand and letting him whisk me away to some other part of the island. The magic swirling around us during the transfer makes me close my eyes or risk smudging my eye liner. When we're still again, I take a moment to gather my wits before I open my eyes. "A boat?" I look around us in confusion at the body of water that surrounds us. "Why am I in a dingy, you dingbat?"

"Mo-Mo?" I have a few seconds to turn before my nephew's arm were wrapped tightly around me, his head resting just under my chin. I hug him back with all I have, never wanting to let go of him again if my life depended on it. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, what about you?" I pull back, taking his chin in my hand and turning his face this way and that to do some assessments. There were a few scrapes and bruises, but he's a boy and that's to be expected.

"I told you I would bring her back," Pan says confidently, rowing us towards a giant cave in the shape of a skull.

"Holy mother of pizza," I gasp, staring at it in slight fear. I can tell from here that it's brightly lit inside, the eyes of the skull giving off an orange glow that means fire and warmth, but also danger. I tighten my hold on Henry, a nervousness beginning to set in when I see Pan's superior grin and Henry's ready smile. Maybe leaving the group was a bad idea, but at least I'm with Henry and can keep Pan in my sight.

Pan rows us until we're close to a rock ledge, getting out first and helping Henry and me out before tying the little boat to the makeshift dock. "It's been a long time since I stepped foot on this shore." The nostalgia in his tone makes me snort, following Henry over to a set of stair carved into the rock. Pan grabs a long stick up off the ground, drawing a line in the sand.

"What's that," Henry asks as Pan waves a hand over the line and a wall of invisible magic is put up in front of the three of us.

"It's a protection spell," I answer, my brows knitting together in slight confusion. "Why do we need one of those?"

"Mermaids," Pan answers simply. "They're not a friendly lot at the best of times. Now let's go." He leads the way up the stairs, holding my hand tightly as though he was afraid that I would run if given the chance. I have to give it to him, though, I probably would run even if it meant having to knock Henry over the head with a rock and carrying him like a sack of potatoes back to the boat. The room he leads us into is humongous, with several smaller skulls carved into the rock of the walls. An hour glass sits in the middle of the room, reaching all the way to the ceiling above our heads, filled with golden sand. "This is it. This is the place where you're going to save magic."

"Why does it have to be here," Henry questions, looking around in amazement. I never expected something so darkly beautiful when I saw this place outside, it's almost enough to make me consider a new theme for my room back in Storybrooke if I ever make it back there.

"Well, because this is the location from which Neverland's magic emanates. Isn't that right, Aveena?"

"Well," I say halfheartedly," you're not wrong." Magic came off this place in waves, nearly enough to make me stagger backwards in dizziness. "What's with the hour glass? It looks kind of ominous." I gesture at it, making Pan smile.

"Marks how much time we have left before Neverland's magic runs out." Somehow I have trouble believing Neverland will run out of magic anytime soon with this thing here. I shiver, looking around us for anything interesting while Pan and Henry talk. The eyes of the cave get my attention, and I find myself wandering over to them and looking down at the relatively calm waters below. I wrap my arms around myself, all the magic trying to force itself in my system making me want to do nothing more than lie down for a bit.

Conceding marginally, I slide down the wall, my back resting against it and my knees drawn up to my chest with my arms wrapped around my legs. It's a struggle to keep my eyes open, but it's made easier when Papa waltzes in and takes some of the magical pressure off of me. He looks determined yet terrified and is gripping the little box with the strange symbols tightly in his hands. "Hello, Laddie," Pan says, his expression telling me that he's been expecting this. "Oh, I see you've come bearing gifts."

"Where's Henry," Papa asks, glancing between Pan and me every few seconds. I give him a thumbs up to show I'm okay even as the magic begins to rebound off of the two men and back at me. _Is this what getting high feels like? When will the munchies kick in, I wonder?_

"You mean you're grandson? You still haven't told the others who I really am." He scoffs, walking back towards the hour glass. "Not even your own children. Why?"

"Because you're nothing but a monster to me. You're a coward that wanted this island to yourself."

"We both know if that were true, I'd already be in that box."

"You don't think I can do it? You let me inside just to, uh, taunt me?"

"No. To see you again, to give my best friend one last chance. Stay with me. Let this go and let's start over."  _Did he practice that speech in front of a mirror?_

"Do you think I want to be with you? That I could ever forgive you after you massacred the only family I ever knew?"

"I'm disappointed, Rumple." Am I missing something here? "After all these years, I thought you'd be more….Understanding." Pan looks at the hour glass, watching the golden sand sink through the tiny hole and fall towards the bottom. "Considering you did the same thing to  _your_  children. You didn't make it a secret that you killed innocent people, I bet you even had Aveena convinced that they deserved it until she was too old to fool with that. You traded your own son for the power of a dagger, your daughter for your petty revenge, and I sent you off so that I could rule here. We're a lot more alike than you care to admit."

"We are  _nothing_ alike!"  _Papa gonna open a can o' whoop ass_ , I think with a giggle, letting my legs spread out in front of me as I watch them verbally duke it out.

"Oh, of course we are. And it's nothing to be ashamed of. Neither one of us was cut out to look after others, m'boy."

"I regretted leaving my son the moment I let him go. I spent my life trying to find him, to get him back and keep my children safe. And what did you do? You forgot about the only person in your life that didn't look at you like you were scum, the only person that looked at you the way Aveena looked at me as a young child. You forgot about me."  _Wow, could our family be anymore fucked up than it is right now?_

"I never forgot about you! Why do you think I call myself Peter Pan?" Because you play that stupid pan flute all the time…?

"Don't think for a moment I believe it's because you care for me."

"But I do. All you have to do is put down that box, and you'll see it's true. We can make a new fresh start like we tried to do here, together, just as we planned." Were they close friends or were they gay lovers because I'm getting some strange vibes over here and it ain't from the magic. He holds out his hand expectantly and Papa gives him a  _you're out of your mind, you damn fruit loop_ look.

"Oh, I'm gonna make a fresh start. Just not with you." He waves his hand over the box, but the only thing that happens is Pan beginning to laugh. I have a bad feeling that that's not what's supposed to be happening right now. "I don't understand."

"Cause you don't have it," Pan states triumphantly, pulling an exact replica of Papa's box out from behind his back. I wonder if he can pull a rabbit out of a hat too.

"You switched them?" Papa's voice is barley more than a defeated whisper.

"Follow the lady."  _What lady, where?_  I look around the cave, but the only lady in here is me and I ain't moving. "Still having trouble believing. In Neverland, all you have to do is think of something to have it." Curious, I hold out my hands and begin to think as hard as I can until a Hershey's bar lands in my upturned palms.  _I've got the power!_  I look up in time to see Papa get turned into a red vapor, disappearing into the box before the red gem on top clicks back into place.

Pan looks at me, taking in my dumbstruck expression. "Are you high right now?"

"I fucking guess," I grumble, taking a bite of my chocolate. "Seeing people gettin' sucked up in boxes and shit….Just ain't natural." I shake my head slowly back and forth before leaning it back to rest against the cool wall. As the magic grows stronger, I begin to slip in and out of consciousness, none of the world making any sense.

Sometimes I was in the cave with Pan and Henry and sometimes I was in the middle of a stone courtyard surrounded by a bunch of white rabbits with pocket watches that always shouted that they were simply one hell of a bunny. Things were getting crazy when the two places joined together and I saw Pan prancing around with bunny ears and a fluffy white tail. The next thing I know, someone's forcing my head out the eye socket of the rock and into the fresh air. I let out a pained moan, pushing the magic away from me with all my might as I fight the hallucinations.

"Henry, you need to get away from him now," I can faintly hear Emma saying. The hands holding onto the back of my jacket and my pants slowly move me back inside and I can see that it was my brother that forced me into waking. At least no one has bunny ears now. "He's trying to hurt you."

"No," Henry states fervently," the heart of the truest believer, it's what's gonna save magic. It's gonna save all of you." I look at him, having to blink a few times before there was only one of him instead of three. In his hand is a child's heart, glowing a faint gold like I've never seen before. What the fuck did I miss while I was out?

"No, it's not," Regina argues. "This was never about magic, Henry. You have to believe us. The only person Pan's interested in saving is himself."

"That's not true!"

"Of course it isn't," Pan concurs.

"Yes, it is," Neal fights back. "Pan can't live without you dying. If you give him you're heart, it's gonna kill you." My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and I point at my nephew while looking up at my brother. He nods, understanding my unasked question.

"Henry," I say in my best stern aunt voice," you put that thing back where it came from or so help me!" Pan gets between Henry and the rest of us, making it impossible for my nephew to see anyone else.

"They're trying to stem your belief, but don't let them," Pan says soothingly, a tone anyone would want to believe. "Remember, every hero gets tested." I try to move forward and rip Pan's hand off when he rests it on Henry's shoulder, but Neal is quick to restrain me.

"Henry," Emma calls out to get his attention," I know what being a hero looks like, and this isn't it."

"Why would they lie," he asks Pan.

"Because that's what adults  _do_ , Henry," Pan responds without hesitation. "You know that better than anyone.

"Don't do this, squirt!"

"Your family doesn't care about Neverland, Henry. They know if you give your heart to save it, then you'll have to stay." He quickly moves to Henry's side so that he can face us all. "They're being selfish because they don't wanna lose you."

"Henry, you have to trust us," Emma tries.

" _Trust_? I'm the only one who's ever been honest with you, Henry. The only one who ever  _believed_  in you. This is  _your_  choice, not theirs. You have to choose now, we're running out of time."

"We believe in you, Henry," Neal tells his son, letting me go when I cease my struggles.

"Because we love you," Emma fills in.

"More than anything," Regina adds.

"More than you'll ever know," I finish sadly. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have taught you how to ride a bike all those years ago."

"I love you too," he says with a smile and for a moment I think everything will be all right. "But I have to save magic."

"No," all four of us scream as Henry forces his heart into Pan's chest, a blast of magic sending everyone to the ground except for Pan. I struggle to my feet, legs weak and almost ready to give out when Pan grabs me around my waist, floating above the ground with a dark smile. Henry is unconscious with the other three surrounding him and I'm useless while dangling in Pan's grip. I've always wanted to go flying, but I always had a plane or a blue box in mind and not an evil teen intent on world domination.

"Henry!"

 


	41. Chapter 41

I let out a scream as jolts of magic are sent into me from Pan, his new-found power making me writhe in his grasp until he's forced to let me drop or come down with me. He does the latter, lying me on the ground and watching me squirm for a moment before smiling at the group and Henry. I feel like I'm being burnt from the inside out and unable to do anything about it. This magic isn't Neverland's, it's like nothing I've ever dealt with and it's like I can't push it out of me.

Every time I try, the pain just increases to a new level of agony. Is this what it feels like to die? An unimaginable pain and a longing to have my papa and dad at hand so I could knock their heads together and tell them to get along for once in their damn lives, to let them know that I forgive them for everything and I love them more than anyone else? It's hard to focus on anything except the burning in my skin, my body too hot for anyone to survive let alone handle while conscious, but the sweet escape of sleep evades my grasp.

Did I do something to deserve this? I can feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest as my pulse speeds up and my head begins to pound—neither sensation comforting in the slightest. My vision has gone blurry and I'm almost certain that my contacts fell out during my thrashing. Sweat begins to form, sliding down my face as my body begins to still against my wishes. Paralysis kicks in, the burning still there, but I couldn't move to try and fight it anymore. I'm left lying on the cold stone, staring straight ahead at the wall as my hearing slowly comes back in place of an insistent ringing and a cold sets in.

Great, now I have a fever on top of everything else! If it were possible in that moment, I would have rolled my eyes. Slowly, my eyes begin to close of their own accord and my breathing begins to slow….

* * *

The next thing I know, I'm opening my eyes and finding myself surrounded by trees. Where'd the cave and unimaginable pain go? I'm still achy, but it felt more like the aches you'd get from a cold, and it hurts a little to sit up. "About time." Pan's smooth voice comes from behind me and, when I look over my shoulder, I find him sitting on the dirt with his back against a tree trunk. "I thought I'd put too much magic in you at first, but I don't make mistakes."

"Actually, you do," I comment, shivering despite the heavy Stitch jacket. "You managed to kidnap the daughter of a well-known pirate and the Dark One, the Evil Queen's favorite babysitter, and the Aunt of the Savior's kid. If you do the math, the odds are most definitely not in your favor. In fact, if this was the Hunger Games, you'd be killed right after you jump off the platform." Carefully, I get to my feet, one hand moving to rub my temple in order to fight a headache. "Jesus, I've never reacted this way to magic before. What did you do to me?"

"You've never been exposed to my magic completely, it always went through Pan or the island before going to you." His voice begins to morph from Pan's confident tone to Felix's bored drawl. I turn to face him, expecting to find Pan even after the change, but I'm met with Felix instead with the Shadow hovering just behind him. It's always seemed too tall to be Pan's, almost comical that the dimensions didn't fit, but I'd always pinned it down to shadows never matching completely. It does now, though, it fits perfectly to Felix. "Are you catching on now, Aveena?"

"You let Pan think he was in charge and you were his lackey, but he was just doing your dirty work for you. Oh, that's almost Sherlock clever." Felix still has his club nearby and it made me wonder if it was the thing he channeled his magic through before he had Henry's heart. "W-were you posing as Pan all the time...?"

"He was the one that interacted with you, don't worry. I only just now got the power back to transform into other people. Your precious Pan is back at the camp disguised as me and saying what I need him to say." He stands up, stretching a little and picking up his club. "You did your job well, Aveena. The magic you were feeding into the island was actually going to me...You were draining Pan slowly and filling me with the magic you took from him." Fantastic, I go from being stuck with a guy that puts the hot in psychotic to being stuck with the guy that would steal candy from small children and push helpless old people into oncoming traffic.  _Boy, you sure do know how to pick 'em, Jones_. "Now, it's time for us to play a little hide and seek." He sets the box holding my papa down on a large moss-covered rock jutting up from the ground before grabbing my arm and pulling me with him to hide in the foliage that surrounds the clearing.

I try to speak, but nothing comes out when I open my mouth. I glare at the man beside me, wanting to wipe the smug smirk off his face. A few minutes later, Snow, Emma, and Regina walk into the clearing, all three on guard and spotting the box at once. "Careful," Regina warns as Snow moves to pick up the box. "Pan wouldn't have just left it behind for no reason."

"It's David's only way home," Snow reminds her. "Without Gold, we're stuck here." She leans down to pick up the box only to have a vine wrap around her middle and pull her back.

"Mary Margaret," Emma shouts seconds before vines wrap around her and Regina, forcing them back against a tree and tying them in place. Beside me, Felix morphs back into Pan before he comes out of hiding, a thin chain of magic wrapping around my throat and working like a leash. He tugs on his end of it, forcing me to walk with him as he reveals himself to the women.

"Are you still at it," he asks in amusement. "Don't you know?" He picks up Emma's cutlass, facing the trio with a smile. "Peter Pan never fails." I open my mouth to refute that, but I'm still unable to talk. Jesus, this is worse than that time I had Laryngitis, at least then I could squeak out what I needed to say. "I didn't expect you to find me. But then again, I shouldn't be surprised. You're mothers. Quite tenacious about your offspring and children in general." He pats the top of my head and I smack his hand away with a scowl. "But if you're looking to see Henry again, I have to tell you, there's only one place you'll be reunited—in death."

I yank away from him, focusing hard on the chain of magic and watching it slowly begin to dissolve along with Felix's disguise. "Not," I choke out, struggling to break the magic bubble surrounding my voice box. "P-p—"

Ad just like that, my ability to speak is gone again and Felix's glamour is back in place. He delivers a hard slap, almost knocking me off my feet. I stumble back a couple of feet, hand coming up to hold my offended cheek. "That's quite enough, Aveena." The dark look he sends in my direction enough to make me tremble in fear of what he might do later. "Having trouble moving? Not surprised, give where you are. You see, what's hastening your demise is your regret."

"What are you talking about," Emma asks suspiciously.

"This tree is the sight of a very important event for me. I possessed a boy here and made him abandon his best friend, made him slaughter and entire tribe of people."

"You're not Pan," Regina asks, her brows furrowed.

"You caught that, good." The glamour fades away and reveals Felix, his pale blonde hair hanging in his eyes. "I can see what you're thinking,  _Savior_. What happened to Pan's best friend….Does Pan miss him? Well, he won't for much longer." He picks up Pandora's Box, holding it for all of us to see. "I have him all boxed up. That way I can keep Pan for a while longer and he doesn't have to lose his friend again."

"Rumpelstiltskin is Pan's best friend?"

"That he is."

"How's that possible, Gold is a lot older than Pan."

"The same way it's possible for you and your daughter to be the same age—magic." He gives the trio a pleased grin, taking in their angered helpless expressions gleefully. "I may not be at my peak right now, but this tree will protect me. It attacks at the regret of any that come near it and you…." He points the cutlass at Emma. "You've got enough regret bottled up enough for ten people."

"The only thing I regret is not taking a better shot at you when I had a chance," she remarks.

"Well, that's not all, is it?" He leans a little closer to me, the chin around my neck forcing me to take a step forward as well as it cuts into my skin. "No. I have your son's heart inside me. I can feel just how much you let him down time and time again."

"Leave her alone." Snow's voice holds a dangerous quality only a parent can have.

"Perhaps I should." He moves to Snow next. "After all, what chance did she have at being a good mother? Look at the example you've set—abandoning her for twenty-eight years." I wince, feeling warm blood trickling down my throat and soaking into the material of my shirt. I hated the feeling of it, bringing my hand up to see if I was imagining it only to find my fingers stained crimson when I pull them away.

"Are you finished," Regina asks superciliously.

"Last words from the Queen." I guess it's her turn to be talked at this time. "Perhaps a deathbed confession from the one who has the most to regret of all."

"Yeah, there's one problem with that. I did cats a curse that devastated an entire population." I can't help the grin that appears on my face, realizing something that Felix doesn't—Regina isn't the type to regret things. "I have tortured and murdered. I've done some terrible things. I should be overflowing with regret, but….I'm  _not_." She shoves the vines away from her, snapping them easily and freeing the other two. "Because it got me my son." She doesn't hesitate to force her hand into Felix's chest and yank her son's heart out.

The chain of magic dissipates and I let out a relieved groan, using my magic to heal the wound. Anger and frustration surges through me, almost as addictive as the darkness that surrounds the people I care about most in this world, and I let it rule me for long enough to bring the heel of my boot down hard on Felix's head. It's not enough to kill him, but it'll keep him unconscious for a while. "Take me to my father," I gasp, picking up the box that holds my papa.

* * *

Hook helps support me as we gather around Henry on the  _Jolly Rodger_ , making sure that he had me in case my knees decided to give out. Regina gently pushes the heart into Henry's chest, resting her hands there as we wait to see if he'll wake up. "Come on, Squirt," I whisper, feeling tears stinging my eyes. A moment later, Henry opens his eyes with a gasp and I allow myself to relax back against my dad. "Thank God."

"Welcome back, Young Sir," Hook grins down at my nephew. "Only the best for our guest of honor, don't you think? Captain's quarters."

"Come on," Regina says softly," I'll tuck you in." She helps Henry to his feet and leads him into my father's room to rest.

"I'm gonna go talk to Pan and see what he remembers," I tell my dad, looking at the teen over my shoulder. He looked lost and dazed as he looked around him on the ship, his hands bound with coarse rope. Hook holds onto my arm, keeping me from walking away so he could bend down and whisper in my ear.

"Do you think it smart to get close to the very boy that kidnapped you," he asks, blue eyes studying my face.

"Why not, that last guy that kidnapped is now called Dad." He purses his lips, looking unamused. "Lighten up, I thought you were going to be the relaxed Dad." I pull my arm free with an easy smile and move to sit cross-legged in front of Pan. He looks up at me, sitting up straighter. "Do you know what happened to you?"

"I was a puppet," he answers in a shaky voice, clearing his throat. "Felix was pulling the strings and I thought...I thought I would never truly escape him." He scoffs, shaking his head in annoyance. "Not all I did was Felix, Aveena, not all my thoughts were his. I was the one that wanted to kiss you and I was the one who showed you the cave."

"Felix is responsible for all the bad things you did either."

"No, but he amplified the darkness surrounding those thoughts until I felt like if I didn't act on them I would be driven mad. I resisted when Rumple and I first came here….I thought I was going to marry Tiger Lilly back then, but the Shadow—Felix—made me murder her and her entire tribe."

"No he didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"He was the one to kill them, you weren't."

"But….I felt her blood on my hands, I watched the light leave her eyes."

"That's the thing with magical possession, you feel and see everything the other does. You were probably hidden away somewhere while he used a glamour to fool anyone who might've happened upon him." Pan lowers his head, his bound hands clenching into fists. "It wasn't all your fault, Pan, and you can get back to yourself with some therapy."

"You speak as though you know. Were you ever possessed?"

"Mordred and Vincent—back then he went by Thomas—they, uh, were using me to get information about Papa until I finally gained the courage to call their bluff. After a lot therapy, I was back to myself and all the stronger. You'll be stronger too, just wait and rest."

"Morgan!" My head snaps up when I hear my name called out in a familiar Scottish accent. The tears spring back as I leap to my feet and rush to embrace Papa, fresh out of the box. "My little bird, my sweet little bird." He hugs me tightly, not yet noticing who I had been talking to earlier. I know the moment he does, though, because he tenses and pushes me so that I'm positioned behind him. "What the hell were you doing talking to  _him_?"

"He was possessed," I say quickly, gripping his arm in both of my hands to keep him from hurting Pan. "Felix is the real bad guy behind all of this; he's the Shadow in human form."

"A glamour?"

"A very good one apparently," Pan grumbles. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd was working up the courage to do something." He nudges Papa out of the way and takes my face in his hands, careful not to put too much pressure on my bruised cheek, before bringing his lips down to meet mine in a gentle kiss. There's nothing demanding in it, just a soft persuasion that couldn't be faked in a thousand years. I vaguely hear Papa murmur something about my poor taste in men before he walks off and I'm pulled back into the kiss.

A sudden surge in magic makes me jerk away in surprise, Pan trying to steady me despite his bound hands. "What is it?"

"Felix….Henry!" I turn, finding Regina already following Papa down into the cabin that held my nephew. Pan and I move quickly, both of us anxious to see what was going on. When we get down the stairs, Papa holds me back so that Regina can comfort her son. "Felix….?"

"He's locked away," Papa assures me, holding up the box.

"I hope he stays there forever."

"You should find somewhere to rest, little bird, you were put through a lot these past few weeks." I nod, using a small amount of magic to untie Pan's hands so he could climb easier before joining the others up on deck, curling up near the back with a thin blanket my dad gave me when we boarded.

"I don't have any magic anymore," Pan says, sitting down beside me. "It feels nice." For the first time since I met him, Pan doesn't have a haunted look in his green eyes….He looks freed.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I based the being that my version of Felix is on the creature called an Alp, they basically made people have horrible nightmares and then drank some of their blood. I got the idea from one of the Supernatural books called Night Terror by John Passarella—you guys should check it out if you can, it's one of my favorites and was fun to read about! Sorry that this is so short, but consider it a filler chapter.

**Neverland—Past**

In a world protected by magic, a world made up only of water, a small island began to form in the center. To anybody who saw it happen, it would appear that sand was breaking off the bottom of the water and floating to the surface, hardening there in the sunlight and creating a small strip, but it was slowly growing larger and larger. It was an island forged by sleeping magic, seeping into the magical world from the dreams of children.

Soon, the sand has grown into the full size that the island will be when it's first occupant arrives—a boy of no more than fourteen years old. A scar ran diagonally across his face, starting a few inches below his right eye, up across the top of his nose, and stopping at his forehead. It was dark red and fresh, no more than a few weeks old. He was tall for his age with pale blonde hair that fell in his eyes in unruly tangles.

The boy looks around him, rocks beginning to form from the sand, trees and bushes growing next. They were bright green like the trees you would see in the spring, reaching towards the sun and embracing its warmth. Like everything around him, the boy, too, has been crafted by the dream magic, though he came into being thanks to nightmares. He was everything people feared, a boy that could blend in and go unnoticed, a boy that most would pass off as normal as long as they couldn't see the dark thoughts bouncing around in his handsome head.

Those thoughts are what separated him from all the brightness of this new land, the thoughts that contained every child's fears. He looks down at his hands, hard with callouses and tanned a golden color even thought this was his human body's first day of life. His soul has been around for centuries, jumping from house to house and land to land, feeding off nightmares and making them grow in size. As an Alp, a rare species to find these days, he liked to think he was quite powerful. To test his abilities that have, until this moment, mostly been used to torment women and young children, he stretches out a hand and touches a nearby tree.

The pale brown bark turns almost black and the leaves change from bright green to a darker version—the stuff of nightmares. His magic spreads through the island, more trees growing to block out the sun and give the island a feeling of it always being night. He smiles, a dark and cruel smile that leant his face an eerie quality, and walks along a path, dark bushes and thorns growing behind him and taking over the trail. Some thorns are dark red, the color of blood, but not as harmful as the black thorns.

They oozed black poison, one simple drop enough to have a man dead in three days. As he walked he came to the edge of the island, finding a skull-shaped cave in the distance and a longboat dragged up on shore for his use. He ignores it, taking on his usual form of a shadow and flying across the dark waters and in through the socket to the top most room of the cave. A massive golden hour glass sits in the very center of the room, several golden skulls surrounding it and working as its base. Larger skulls are built into the walls and surround the room along the floor.

Inside the hour glass was sand from the island, trickling slowly from the top to the bottom half. He knew what it meant, now that he had an entire island to himself he would need to maintain his flow of nightmares. If he didn't get enough, he would starve and the island would disappear back into the sea. Though, how he would get to feed, he had no idea because he would have to stay here to make sure the island stayed stable enough and that could take anywhere from six days to six years.

Thinking quickly, he closes his eyes and separates his two forms, the human one would stay on the island and the shadow form would go for the dreams and blood. When he's stronger and knows the island would not sink while he was distracted, he would bring the more vulnerable children here to feed off of so that it would limit the trips he had to make to other lands.

Magic still exists in some lands, he would start there and place suggestions in the children's heads that they would want to come here, that their parents no longer wanted them. But what would he call his new home? It had to have a name or the children would doubt that it truly existed. And then it came to him, the perfect name for an island such as this.

Neverland.


	43. Chapter 43

**Neverland—Past**

The Alp grins down at the sleeping boy, newly christened Peter Pan. He would be a very good asset for the Alp to have by his side, the boy's thoughts were already dark and the Alp simply needed to amplify them for his plan to be realized. Over the last century or so, the children's nightmares had been warped to include the Indian tribe as a protector of sorts and the Alp needed them out of the way in order to regain complete control of the island.

The part of the island they inhabited was brightening again, a friendly place for the dreaming children to occupy. Silently, the Alp floats over to Pan, resting his hands on the boy's head and pushing darkness into his dreams, changing a sweet scene of him and Tiger Lilly walking along the shoreline to that of him strangling her. He made Pan feel pleasure from the act, made him crave the darkness it would give him.

That was the key to this plan, the boy had to crave darkness—he had to be completely addicted to the stuff or this plan would fail like all the others. Pan begins to thrash about in his sleep, striking out and making the Alp land a few feet away after a strong bout of magic burst from his hands. Pan settles again, sitting up slowly and looking around him. The Alp watches him, invisible in the darkness, as the boy gets up and begins to walk into the jungle.

The Alp follows after him, another plan beginning to form, and soon enough, his human form is falling from the sky, breaking branches as he falls through the trees before landing on the path in front of Pan. Quickly, Pan helps the other form to sit up and lean back against a tree, a concerned expression on his face as he takes in the injuries. "Who are you," Pan asks quietly when the other form comes back into consciousness.

"I'm Felix," the form answers obediently in a gruff voice, not matching the Alp's natural deep tone.

**Storybrooke—Present**

I hold tightly to both Pan and Hook as we sail through the air towards the water below, landing smoothly on the water—an applause signally that the town had arrived to see us safely off the ship. I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding, releasing my father and wrapping my arms loosely around Pan's neck, my head resting on his chest. In the three days it took us to get back, I have learned quite a bit about the former immortal. He wasn't entirely the big bad villain we all thought he was, but he wasn't a boy scout either.

"And you were worried," my father teases gently, giving me a superior grin.

"Wipe the grin off or I will," I grumble, letting Pan lead me off the ship. Most of the people from town have gathered at the docks, Mister and Mrs. Bryland included. What do those two assholes want? I step down onto the docks, mine and Pan's arms linked together so I don't accidentally run into a pole or something. Some pulls me into a tight hug, and I hug them back with a smile. "Who am I hugging?"

"A rather angry looking man," Pan supplies helpfully.

"Leroy!"

"Why are you and Pan all buddy-buddy," the Dwarf asks, pulling back but still keeping one hand o my arm. "I thought he was the bad guy."

"Well, so was my dad, but we all saw how that turned out."

"Uh, Morgan, why are you talking to the air?" I shrug, trying to identify which blur was Leroy until I feel him slide my backup, backup pair of glasses onto my face. "We should superglue these to your face."

"They might actually stay undamaged that way."

"Miss Gold," Mister Bryland says, coming to stand next to Leroy. "It appears we need a Christine for the play again as well as an Erik. Would you happen to be available for the part?"

"Sorry, I don't work for assholes. Shoo, fly, you're bothering me." I make a shooing motion with my hand until he retreats back to his wife with a glare and the couple walk away. I lace Pan's fingers with mine, tugging it slightly with a smile. "Come on, Pan, we need to get you caught up on the twenty-first century and all of its marvels. We can start by eating toast and watching one of the best movies ever—The Fellowship of the Ring."

I pull Pan along with me away from the group of people, wanting nothing more than to curl up on the couch with some caffeine, toast, and a good movie to keep me distracted. Besides, the best way to cheer me up and get Pan interested in the Fantasy genre is with Samwise the Brave. "Hold on a moment," Pan says, stopping to look over his shoulder. The Lost Boys are coming off the ship now, the littlest one catching his eye. "What will happen to them?"

"We'll find a pace for them to live with people who will love and take care of them."

"Including Edric?"

"Especially Edric." Pan stares at the child a moment longer before letting me pull him away towards the edge of town where I lived with Papa and Belle.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay," I ask as we find an empty table in the back of Grannies. "You look a little sick."

"It's nothing," Pan answers, taking a sip of his coffee. He looks around the crowded diner, obviously uncomfortable around all the strangers. "I'm just used to smaller gatherings with people who don't want to kill me." I roll my eyes with a sympathetic smile, reaching out to rest my hand on top of his. "Yeah, that isn't going to help me survive."

"Oh please, the only people that wants to kill you here is my dads, and wow, that sounded weirder than it did in my head." I take a bite of my cherry pie, shaking my head with some amusement. "I'll tell you what, make it through another five minutes, and we can spend all day tomorrow away from the house and my family. Is that a deal?"

"It's a deal I'll happily accept." He smiles, leaning in and placing a chaste kiss on my lips.

"Vee, can I talk to you for a moment," Hook asks, already pulling me out of my seat and away from Pan. "I don't think you should date him."

"And why's that?"

"Because, not too long ago, he tried to kill us all."

"Really, that's your reason? Well, not too long ago you abused my trust and tried to kill Papa right in front of me, and not too long before that, Papa was ready to sacrifice me, Snow, and Emma to keep Cora from popping up. Are you saying I shouldn't be around you two anymore while I'm cutting people out of my life?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Mm, maybe you should work on being a little bit more specific, daddy darling." I pat his chest with a sarcastic smile before I walk back over to Pan. "C'mon, Pan, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and a lot of money to spend, so we'll need our rest." He takes my hand, happily letting e lead the way over to the booth Henry was occupying. "Night, Squirt." Henry looks up as I bend over to give him a hug, ruffling his hair when I straighten out again. "I'll see you later, alright." He nods with a smile, going back to reading his book of fairy tales.

"You know," Pan states as we walk out of the diner and down the block to my car," you could always call me Peter."

"Nah, just doesn't sound right." I scrunch up my nose, the expression making Pan laugh. I pull away from the curb and begin the relatively short drive back to my house, the radio playing softly for background noise. Pan reaches over and turns the volume up, listening to a Demi Lovato song from Mortal Instruments.

_So now we've found our way to find each other/so now I found my way to you/no there's no one else's eyes that could see into me/ no there's no one else's eyes that could see into me/No one else's arms can lift/lift me up so high…._

"I like that song," he comments quietly, taking my free hand in his. "It could be ours."

"Sure, why not." I shrug, parking in the garage and turning the car off. "How long have we been dating in Neverland time?"

"About two months and three days, why?" He gets his answer when I lean over the center console, giving him a kiss that could rival the one we shared in his secret cave. I only pull back when I need air, biting my lower lips as I study his face—his eyes are still closed and his lips are parted slightly, his tongue running over the bottom lip before disappearing back into his mouth.

"How do you think your father will be gone?"

"Long enough." He opens his eyes, the pale green color darker than I've ever seen it. I share a devious smile with him, both of us getting out of the car as quickly as possible and barely making it upstairs to my room before he finally got my dress off. "Easy, it's expensive," I mumble, unzipping it and letting the pale green material pool at my feet. We fall backwards on my bed, him on top of me and breathing hard, placing butterfly light kisses up my throat to my ear.

"You're so beautiful, Morgan." And in that moment, I actually believed it….

**The Next Morning….**

Dressed in my black Avenged Sevenfold tee shirt, my short Batman skirt, and moccasins, I was ready to do some shopping, too bad for me that Papa and Hook chose that moment to form the _Keep Morgan Single_ team. "And furthermore," Papa continues, pointing an accusing finger in Hook's direction. "Just because that father doesn't care who he sleeps with, doesn't mean you shouldn't either!"

"Exactly," Hook concurs," I don't want to share that quality with my daughter, it's not right! You should be saving that for marriage and not wasting it on a demented teenage boy! Besides, if I can't get a date, then you shouldn't be able to either, we basically have the same face. Now, be a good girl, listen to your fathers, go back upstairs, and lock yourself in your room until your fifty and old enough to be married."

"Fifty? No, no, that's much too young. She should be sixty at least."

"Are you two finished," I ask, shoving my phone and wallet into my coat pocket before pulling the leather jacket on. "Because my boyfriend needs some new clothes unless you plan on washing the same outfit daily." I push past the two men and walk outside where Pan is waiting for me with Belle lecturing him.

"What's going on here," Regina asks, walking up at the worst possible moment.

"She and that demon slept together last night," Hook says loudly, gesturing between me and Pan. Regina's eyes go wide as she turns to face me with her  _you're in trouble_ look on her face.

" _What_? What were you thinking, Morgan?"

"I was thinking that last night was a good night to be laid, but apparently I thought wrong," I snap, walking away from the group of adults with Pan jogging after me. I'm pretty sure that by the time today's over with, the entire town will know and Leroy and David will hang Pan upside down by his feet until he agrees to stay away from me in their twisted way of protecting my honor.

"Is it always like this," Pan asks when he catches up with me.

"It's worse now that my other dad showed up and everyone got their memories back." He winces, rubbing his swollen face. Papa had come in to check on me last night and found Pan and I asleep in my bed—fully clothed at that point—and promptly punched Pan right in the face. This morning, he told Hook about what happened and that dad showed up and punched Pan again, so now the left side of his face is bruised and swollen. "Maybe we should do it in a hotel room from now on."

"I don't think that will be possible without someone finding out."

"Why?"

"Because that Leroy fellow has been following us for three blocks now." I let out a frustrated groan, walking into the closest men's clothing store. "All of these clothes are tailor made?"

"Ah, sure, if it helps you to think like that." I push him toward the clothing that looks to be his size, helping him to pick out a few shirts that would be comfortable along with some pants, shoes, pajamas, and underwear. It would be enough for him to start out with, all different materials so he can decide what he likes the best. He finds a cologne that he likes at the counter, and I purchase it along with everything else, looking at Leroy over my shoulder. "You want something for being forced to follow after me?"

"A new hat would be nice," the Dwarf shrugs, picking one up off a shelf and letting the cashier scan it. His phone begins to ring as Pan's stuff is being bagged up and I can tell by the expression on his face that something big is happening  _again_. What is it with this fucking town? We can barely go two days without an incident—if it was a business, we'd be shut down for safety concerns! He hangs up and pulls the hat on his head roughly, grabbing the shopping bags and running out of the store towards his truck. "Let's go, lovebirds, we got an emergency at the town line!" Tired already, I drop the cash needed on the counter and run out of the store to Leroy, Pan running beside me while pulling his borrowed jacket tighter around him.

* * *

"Is there a price tag on your hat," Papa asks when we show up, pointing at Leroy.

"Yep," I affirm," you bought it for him along with buying Pan two hundred dollars' worth of clothing." I give him my sweetest smile, skipping over to Snow and Emma. Papa frowns, him and Belle coming over to us with the box that contain Felix. Leroy informed us what was going on while he drove, apparently the Shadow offed a nun and now we have to deal with it.

"There's no magic beyond the town line. If we release Felix outside Storybrooke, he'll be powerless to fight back." It's then I notice the enchanted stole around Papa's shoulders and the full plan sinks in.

"Uh-uh," Emma says, stepping in front of Papa to make him stop. "I'm doing this."

"I can cross the line  _and_ retain my memories."

"It's not about that. There's no magic over there, and with all due respect, the real world is my expertise." She steps over the line of bright orange spray paint, pulling out her pistol. Obviously she's planning on shooting Felix, I just hope those bullets can do some damage to him. "I'm gonna deal with Felix on my own terms."

"Perhaps I should," Pan offers," I am the one who knows him the best, his way of thinking."

"I don't trust you as far as I can throw you."

"Er, you can't throw me."

"That's her point, babe," I tell him with a shrug. "Please continue, blondie, and don't get yourself killed or seriously injured in the process 'cause I ain't explaining to Squirt that his younger mom got killed for bringing a gun to a magic fight."

"Thanks for the pep talk," she grumbles with a nod in Papa's direction. He waves his hand over the box, the red button on top popping up and releasing a dark red puff of smoke into the air. Carefully, Papa sets the box down on the other side of the line, ensuring that Felix would have no access to magic. The blonde demon appears as confused as if we just told him that Demons 'R' Us was going out of business.

"Mom," he asks in a scared tone, looking at Emma worriedly as she aims her pistol at his chest.

"What?"

"What are you waiting for," Papa snarls," shoot him."

"Don't," Felix says quickly, lacking his usual badass  _I'll break your kneecaps_  aura. "Please! I'm Henry! Felix—h-he switched our bodies."

"You expect me to believe that," Emma asks him with incredulity.

"Don't listen to him," Papa instructs," this is one of his tricks." My brow furrows as I take him in, studying him closer than before. Even in that other world, Papa still had an air of magic surrounding him that wasn't from the stole, but Felix had nothing. To confirm my theory and to see if there was a reason for my stomach to be doing flips, I look down at the ground and can make out a faint shadow against the asphalt, too short and narrow to belong to Felix.

"No it's not," Felix protests," he did it right before Mister Gold captured me in the box. I swear!" I look over at Pan, noticing the same torn expression on his face. He, of all the people here, would know who this is.

"Is he lying," I whisper-ask Pan. "Is that really Felix?"

"I don't know," Pan whispers back, rubbing his eyes. "I don't think it is, Felix was never able to act so vulnerable even when I first found him on Neverland."

"Don't shoot him! Let's find out if he's telling the truth or not."

"And how do you expect to do that," Papa asks, looking ready to cross the line and do Felix in himself.

"Just trust me." I step as close to the line as I dare, trying to come up with a good way to put my plan into action.

"Mo-Mo," he whimpers, looking at me with wide blue eyes.

"What was the first movie me and you went to see and what happened afterwards?"

"We went to see the new Nightmare on Elm Street together, I had a nightmare that night so my mom made you spend the night to help me not be afraid anymore. We laid in the guest bed room and drank hot chocolate and you told happy stories of when I was just a baby until I fell asleep again. We've never watched another scary movie together because it scared you to see me so scared."

"That's my squirt." Emma lowers her pistol, hugging Henry tightly to her. I lay my head on Pan's shoulder, letting out a sigh of relief as Pan wraps his arms around me. "Jesus, no wonder I didn't get an annoyed look last night when I ruffled his hair." I pause, my head shooting up and nearly colliding with Pan's nose. "If that's our Henry, then where's his body?" That's when I notice who it is that's missing from our save the world group. "You guys just let him wander off with Regina?! You thought something was wrong with him and you let Regina take him to the safest place in Storybrooke?"

"If Felix gets his hands on anything in her vault, then we're in trouble," Papa frowns.

"Regina's still not answering," Emma informs us as we walk quickly through town. I look down at my phone anxiously, letting Pan steer me as I send out another text to Regina's phone. I've been texting her and Emma's been calling her since we found out Felix was walking around wearing my nephew's body, but neither of us have been able to get ahold of her.

"When we find Felix," Henry says nervously to Papa," remember, he's still in my body. So if you have to throw a fireball or something, at least avoid the face."

"I'll do my best," Papa assures him, though not in a very reassuring tone. I stuff my phone back in my coat pocket, now regretting my choice of skirt since it was getting cold out. We walk over to where Neal, Tink, and Hook have gathered in front of Regina's vault, Neal working on picking the lock.

"Is it really you," Neal asks seconds before Henry runs over to him and they hug.

"Did you find the Shadow," David asks.

"No," I state," y'all don't understand. Felix and the Shadow are the same person, but the Shadow can take on different forms pretty easily—like he did with Pan just without the real version walking around. The body Henry's in is as real as Dolly Parton's boobs."

"Nice example, Vee, really," Hook says in a tone dripping sarcasm.

"It's the only example I could think of, shut up."

"Why are we still here when we should be looking for Felix," Papa asks, flicking my forehead—his way of saying I picked the wrong example.

"It's locked up tight," Neal answers.

"Really?" Papa holds up the hand not holding his cane and I can feel a pulse of magic be rebounded off the spell surrounding the vault.

"I told you so."

"Fair enough. This is gonna take some time. Aveena, come over here and see if you can get some of the magic locking the vault to give away." I nod, moving to sit on the ground in front of Papa, careful to cross my legs at the ankles so as not to flash anybody. I highly doubt they want to see my green and purple panties no matter how cute they are. Pan stands beside me, raising both of his hands to help as well.

"Tell him thank you," I instruct in a stern voice.

"Thank you," Hook and Papa say in unison.

"Good boys, go get a treat when all of this is finished." I focus a little harder on the doors, feeling as the magic seeps into my body and coils in the pit of my stomach, morphing into my own. This cycle continues until the doors open with a faint  _whoosh_.

"Shall we," Papa asks, leading the way inside. Pan and Hook each grab one of my hands and lift me to my feet, Hook keeping the hand he had and tugging me in after him.

"Check your coat pocket," he tells me. I do so, not expecting to find anything let alone one of those necklaces with a small vile attached and filled with sea water with a small seashell charm hanging off the chain beside it. "I know you loved that necklace you lost in Neverland and I know how much you love the water, so I thought this would make up for it."

"Thanks," I say, giving his hand a squeeze. We walk into the main room of the vault after Emma declares it safe, finding Regina unconscious on the floor with books scattered everywhere. Papa uses magic to bring Regina out of dream world, the brunette sitting up in confusion.

"What happened," she asks.

"It's Henry," Emma explains. "Somehow Felix switched bodies with him."

"And I fell for it." She sits down heavily on a nearby bench, running a hand through her short hair. "I wanted to believe what he was saying so badly, I missed all the signs." Oh, please don't start crying. I hate it when people start crying. "I-I just wanted to believe that he still needed me to be his mother." She stands up, not noticing as our Henry walks in.

"I still do," he says earnestly. Emma steps out of the way, letting Regina see him for the first time in Felix's body.

"Henry?" Henry moves quickly, Felix's long legs allowing him to cross the room in a few strides to embrace him mom.

"I don't want to ruin his beautiful moment," I say, leaning against a wall. "But we're kind of on a time limit and we still don't know why Felix wanted to be in here in the first place."

"Please tell me you didn't keep it down here," Papa says suddenly in a tone I recognize all too well. Regina will get the flick to the forehead this time if she doesn't give the right answer.

"Where else would I keep it," Regina asks with a guilty look.

"What is it," Emma asks," what did Felix take?"

**Felix**

"A curse," the child asks as Felix opens a small scroll.

"No, Edric," Felix says, though he knows the boy wouldn't entirely understand,"  _the_ curse. The curse that tore everyone from the Enchanted Forest, and dropped them here."

"You made me wake up and come here so you can tell me how Miss Veena got here?" For being only seven years old, Edric was capable of so much sarcasm that the Alp wondered why his father didn't beat him black and blue before the Alp took him away to Neverland.

"I made you come here because this spell is gonna give us everything we've always wanted."

**Morgan/Aveena**

"Why would Felix even want the curse," Regina questions. "I already cast it."

"And I already broke it," Emma adds.

"Well, that doesn't mean he can't cast it again," Papa explains irritably. "And this time, without your parents' true love woven in, even you would be powerless to break it."

"But, we're already in this land," David points out, failing to comprehend what Papa's getting at.

"What exactly would casting the curse in Storybrooke do now," Snow asks.

**Felix**

"Everyone will forget who they are," the Alp explains to the boy," time will stand still, and, Edric, we will be in charge."

"I could have Miss Veena as my momma."

"Yes. And when we're done with this place, it's going to be the new Neverland." Edric smiles up at him, holding all the beauty of an angel's with all the darkness of a demon's.


	44. Chapter 44

"You're smart, Felix," Edric smiles, hanging onto the Alp's hand so tightly that the creature winces in pain. "I would never be able to outsmart the evil Queen that quick." Edric looks up at the Alp with wide eyes, adoration present as well as something darker.

"She loves the boy," the Alp says simply. "That makes her weak."

"And we shouldn't have weaknesses."

"Very good." The Alp nods in approval, taking his hand out of the child's grip once they reach the old well deep in the forest that surrounds Storybrooke on almost all sides. "This is it, this is where we'll cast it. The ingredients?" Edric pulls the sack out of thin air, handing it to his master with glee. This was his first true spell since he came to be under the Alp's tutelage and he was anxious that it go well.

"When it's done….Will all of them die?"

"Worse than that. They'll be slaves to this new land we're making, with no idea who they once were. Death is final, Edric. Their suffering….Will be eternal." And he would be finished pulling Pan's strings once and for all. He drops vile after vile into the well—the source of the town's supply of magic and so the strongest point in town aside from Rumpelstiltskin's store and Regina's vault.

**Morgan**

"Another curse," Snows asks in exasperation," it's happening again?"

"Gold," Emma inquires," this curse, is it gonna work like the last one?"

"The last one was created to service the Queen's wishes," Papa tells us. "This will be done per Felix's desire. I would count on something hellish." Pan sucks in a sharp breath, running a hand over his face and looking as though someone had just punched him in the gut. "What is it?"

"It's unstoppable, right," he checks, continuing at Regina's nod. "Felix hates each and every one of us, and what better way to make us suffer than to create a new Neverland using the Queen's curse? We'll lose our memories and our happy endings, and he'll get all the nightmares he wants."

"It's not actually unstoppable, we need to get ahold of the scroll itself. It can only be undone by the person who used the scroll. That's you, Regina."

"What do I have to do," Regina asks.

"You must destroy the scroll. Both your curse and his shall be ended, but know this—there will be a price. A steep one."

"W-what do you suggest?"  _What will the price be and how will it affect all of us_? When Papa says a price is steep, then it'll be a bad one that makes people hurt.

"Instead of going to him, bring him to us with a spell—one that will return Felix and Henry to their own bodies." I open my mouth to point out the technical flaw, but Papa cuts me off by holding up his hand. "Fine, little bird, it will return Felix to his false human body." I bit my lip, pushing my glasses back up my nose as I watch the people around me try to wrap their heads around the new plan.

"If I'm back in my own body, that means I'll have the scroll," Henry says in understanding. "I-I can bring it to you guys."

"Exactly right, Henry."

"Even  _you_ aren't powerful enough to cast such a spell," Regina points out.

"Well, given the proper tool, I could be."

"The Black Fairy's wand," Tink pipes up. "One of the most powerful Fairies that ever existed. Well-versed in dark magic. The Blue Fairy exiled her, but before she did, she took her wand." Well, that might be useful in the long run of all this madness. There is a twisting in my stomach and I know it's from the fear of what's to come. If this goes wrong, I could end up back where I started in this world with false memories in a place I don't belong in.

"I assume our dearly departed Mother Superior had it hidden at her residence."

"Then what are we waiting for," David asks impatiently. "Let's hit the convent."

"Can I come," Tink asks. "I should pay my respects to Blue, after all."

"Then it's settled," Papa concludes. "The rest of us should go back to my shop and prepare Henry for the spell."

* * *

I walk into the convent behind everyone else, Pan going with Papa and a few of the others back to the shop. He would be able to destroy the extra form Felix had forced Henry into once my nephew was out of it. Four Fairies stand in front of Mother Superior's coffin, dressed in their usual outfits of dark blue with crucifixes around their throats. The viewing room is pretty big with pews on either side of the aisle, and stained glass windows depicting different scenes or angels from the bible.

"Sorry to interrupt," Tink says, sounding anything but," but we need your help."

"With what," one of the Fairies asks as they all turn to face us.

"Black Fairy's wand is here," my brother says. "We need it."

"We can never—"

"Yeah, it's a terrible, terrible thing," Tink interrupts. But what's coming is worse. Where is it?" A loud thump echoes through the convent and I can spot Felix's true form flying past the windows before it disappears.

"What the hell is that," David asks loudly, trying to be heard over Felix's shrieking.

"Felix has entered the building, ladies and gentlemen," I quip, watching as the Shadow flies back and forth past the windows as a scare tactic. I have to give it to him, it's scary enough to send the nuns running for cover and I felt like joining them!

"Stay covered," my dad calls out, grabbing my arm and pulling me over to one of the pews. Felix flies in through an opened window, flying across the ceiling and shrieking louder. "Over here!" We all squat between the pews on the floor, watching Felix dart back and forth. "Perhaps you should have gone with Emma."

"What, and let you guys have all the fun?"

**Neverland—A Long Time Ago….**

"Mister Smee, you might want to pick up the pace," Hook tells his first mate irritably. "It would do our journey—and your physique—some good." The two men were walking quickly through the dark jungle of Neverland, Hook leading the way with the lantern and Mister Smee following behind.

"Sorry, Cap'n," Smee apologizes breathlessly. He wasn't sorry in the slightest, but he knew saying otherwise would result in punishment. "It's just, this place gives me the creeps." He pauses, listening to the howls in the distance, before hurriedly catching back up with Hook. "Don't you think we should head back to the ship?"

"Not until I've found a way off this accursed island. We've dawdled here for too long. Now that I know that my daughter is still alive and there's a dagger can end the Dark One, we must return to our land. My purpose is renewed." The Captain begins to walk again, Smee lagging behind as he walks on tired and sore feet.

"Why can't your purpose be back at the ship where it's safe?" As if to put emphasis on his words, a stick flies out of the trees and impacts with Smee's forehead, knocking the man to the ground with a quiet grunt. He blacks out for a moment before he comes back into consciousness, his head now joining his ever-growing list of aches and pains. He brings one hand up to his head and rubs while opening his eyes.

Above him, everything seemed to be double and swaying, though there was no wind. His eyes cross slightly, barely able to make out the faint glow of stars beyond the canopy of trees. "I'd risk my life for two things," he hears his Captain say," love and revenge." Who was he talking to? Smee doesn't have the strength to raise his head, the dizziness a warning for him to either stay where he was or run the risk of vomiting all over Hook's boots. If he did that, then he would be the one to clean them once they were back on the  _Jolly Rodger_. "I lost half of the first and the second half of it is in the Dark One's arms. If I die for my vengeance, then that's enough satisfaction for me."

**Morgan**

"So, all we have to do is light the candle again, right," David checks. "That's how you trapped it in Neverland?"  _Yeah, and almost died doing it_.

"Yeah," Neal confirms. "But this time I say we get rid of it for good." Dad pushes on my shoulder until I'm half under the pew behind us, unable to see what was going on above me. What I do see, however, is a bright pink piece of bubble gum laying a few inches away. I scrunch my nose up in disgust, sliding back a little until I could no longer smell it.

"I'll draw its ire," Dad says.

"Are you sure you want to do this," Tink asks.

"If it's the only way to prevent this bloody curse from obliterating us all, then it's a risk I'm willing to take."

"I thought you'd only risk your life for love or revenge?"

"Well, the love of my life is lying under one of these pews, but there's also one other thing I'd risk my life for—me." I grab his ankle before he stands up, making him look down at me.

"Don't die," I order sternly. "If you do, I'll bring you back and I'll kill you myself."

"Yes, ma'am." With one last look at him, I release his ankle and let him stand up. I crawl out from under the pew, popping up beside David as Neal climbs over the pew to sit next to Tink, and watching as my father runs out in the middle of the aisle. "Hey!" The Shadow swoops down, forcing my father to duck down. "Is that the best you've got?" Felix swoops back down again, knocking Dad to the ground and sending him sliding across the floor towards us.

David grabs him, helping him back over to where I'm kneeling. "Can you trap it," Tink asks.

"No," David answers," it's too high, we've got to get closer."

"And I can't fly up there," Neal adds. He waits a moment, looking down at the Fairy sitting next to him. "Tink…."

"If you didn't notice," Tink reminds him," I don't have my wings."

"But you have Pixie dust."

"That doesn't work." David reaches over the top, resting his hand on Tink's shoulder.

"No, no, no, Tink," he tells her," you made it work once. You can do it again." I watch the blonde Fairy stand up and walk out into the open, then I watch as a green glow surrounds her. With a quick smile, she takes the two halves of the coconut from Neal, using her newfound magic to light the wick, and rise into the air. Felix is drawn towards the flame, trapped when she covers the candle part of the coconut with the upper part.

Slowly and carefully, she comes back down to the ground and I let out a breath of relief when she lands. Without a second's hesitation, she tosses the coconut into one of the little fires lit in a stand and all of us watch as smoke rises and Felix shrieks as part of himself is killed. All of us stand and walk out into the aisle, my legs no longer cramping for kneeling for so long.

"Look who's still a Fairy," Dad smiles, stopping in front of Tink with his good hand clutching his sore side.

"Look who's still a pirate," she responds. "Are you alright?"

"Well, I lost a hand once. This is nothing." I smile at him, pacing to get rid of the leg cramps completely.

"For the record, I know why you risked your life back there ad it wasn't for yourself or revenge. It was for your little girl and for Emma." Emma again, the one woman around here that seems to be able to draw men to her like bugs to one of those zapper thingies that people hang outside to kill the bugs it attracts.

"Well done, Green." I look past my dad to see who it was that spoke, not recognizing the voice right away.

"Blue! But you were—"

"Gone. I know." She looks at me with an amused smile, making Dad look back at me and close my mouth with his good hand. I blink a couple of times, taking in the Fairy that was supposed to be dead, and  _was_ dead not three minutes ago. "When you killed the Shadow, mine was returned and I was revived. Thank you."  _Greg is gonna be one pissed off guy when he wakes up on Neverland_. "You finally believed in yourself, Green—Tinker Bell. Welcome back."

"I'm a Fairy again? Even after I disobeyed all your rules?" Blue laughs a little, her hands clasped in front of her.

"I might've been overly strict."

"Understatement of the century," I grumble," you whacked me with one of your pamphlets just because I said I believed in other things."

"Yes, well, dark magic isn't something you should be believing in."

"Why not, it's the only thing that seems to work right in this damn world."

"Do I need to find another pamphlet, Morgan Elizabeth Gold?" That has my dad snorting in laughter, the noise dying away when he sees the dirty looks Blue and I send him. "Is something funny, Hook?"

"Ah, it's just that my daughter's middle name in this world is the same as her mother's." His smile slowly diminishes when Blue and I continue to glare. "She, uh, she hated it….I'm going to shut up now."

"That would be smart. Now, as for the Black Fairy's wand." She holds out her hand, the wand appearing there out of thin air. I can feel the shift of magic in the air, the usually light feeling taking on a darker edge. "Go. Save us all." She gives the wand to Neal and all of our group, minus Tink, run back to Papa's shop.

Pan meets me in the doorway of the backroom, giving me a small, awkward smile. "God, he threatened you, didn't he," I ask, frowning.

"Just a little," Pan nods, moving us both to the side so the others could file inside. "He might have threatened to personally castrate me if I ever so much as sat beside you on a bed."

"Well, I guess we won't do it on a bed from now on." I wink, giving his hand a squeeze before walking over to my papa. "Really, castration?"

"Who on earth would you castrate," David asks with a little amusement until he follows Papa's gaze to Pan. "Oh."

"Why do you sound so shocked?"

"I don't know, you just look like the kind of girl who would wait until you were married."

"I wish," Dad grumbles, crossing his arms. Papa scowls, taking a black leather cuff out of the cupboard.

"What is that," Snow asks.

"This is one of the only useful things I managed to pilfer from Greg and Tamara before they left for Neverland." He walks over to Henry with the cuff and I notice how uncomfortable Regina looks. "It renders anyone with magic utterly powerless."

"I haven't forgotten about all that, by the way," Regina says, sending a look in my dad's direction. Dad shifts a little, not looking apologetic in the slightest.

"Let me see your wrist, Henry." Papa settles the cuff around Henry's—or Felix's—wrist, making sure it was secure. "I want to make sure that when Felix awakens, that he's weakened." He taps the cuff. "This will block his powers."

"So what happens now," Henry asks nervously.

"I enact the spell, you fall into a deep sleep, and when you awake, you're back in your own body." Regina leans forward slightly to look into Henry's eyes.

"And then you hang onto that scroll," she adds," and you come find us as fast as you can." I reach out and grab my father's hand, the dark haired man staring down at me and taking his hand back to wrap his arm around my shoulder, kissing the top of my head and holding me close to him.

"When I gave my heart to Felix," Henry says," I thought I was being a hero. I'm sorry."

"No, you're not the one that needs to be sorry," David tells him. "Felix does."

"It's time," Papa says solemnly. Regina and Emma get up so that Henry can lie back on the cot and Papa can do his thing unobstructed. "Keep your eye on the wand." He waves the wand over Henry's head a few times, the boy's eyes slowly closing before Papa touches the wand to his forehead. There's a gold flash of magic and then Henry is convulsing, the only thing stopping me from going to him being the arm my dad has around me,

"What's happening," Emma asks worriedly.

"Henry's spirit is leaving Felix's false body." He continues to convulse a few moments more until he finally goes completely still.

"It worked," Regina smiles.

"Let's go find our son," Emma suggests. She and Regina are the first to leave, followed by Emma's parents, then my dad, Pan, and Neal with only Papa, Belle, and I left behind.

"You're not coming," she asks, staying beside him while I linger in the doorway.

"No, No, I-I think not. Felix and I have some, uh….Unfinished business." Belle nods, squeezing his arm before walking out. I walk over to Papa, surprising him when I give him a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. "What's that for," he asks, pulling back a little to look down at me.

"Because I love you. You're my one and only papa." He smiles softly, hugging me again and resting his cheek on my head for a little while.

"And I love my one and only daughter. Now, run along with the others before Hook follows through with my castration idea." I laugh at that, giving my papa one last kiss before running out of the shop to catch up with the other guys. I don't get far after we recruit Granny before a feeling of wrongness makes me pause.

"What's the matter," Pan asks as the others run out of the diner.

"I don't know. It's probably nothing, let's go." I take his hand, lacing our fingers together as we run down the street towards the tower just as Henry bursts out.

"It's me," he yells happily. "It's me, it worked!" He runs straight for his moms, the three of them dropping to their knees and hugging each other. "Mom, Mom, I just saw you guys. You just saw me."

"But we didn't see  _you_ ," Regina reminds him. I push past everyone, leaving Pan behind as I run to my nephew and basically tackle him to the ground in a hug.

"Mo-Mo!"

"Squirt! God, I was so scared for a minute." I hold my nephew tightly, never having been so scared in my life. Not even Mordred scared as much as thinking I would never see my nephew again did. "Never do that again, alright?"

"You got it, no more body switching." He smiles as we both get to our feet again, pulling something red out of his pocket and handing it to Emma.

"Oh, he's got it," Emma says in relief, handing it to Regina. "It's up to you now." Regina holds the small scroll in her hand, looking around nervously. A bright purple flash of magic shoots out of the scroll, the flash nearly blinding me and sending Regina to the ground in unconsciousness. "Regina!"


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally cried when I wrote this freaking chapter, damn Rumple and sacrificing himself.

That feeling of wrongness hits me again as I back away from the others, looking around for whatever could be causing it. Unsure of what it was pulling me backwards, I turn and sprint towards Papa's shop without any of the others noticing I was gone, bursting through to the back in time to see Felix kneeling over Papa. "Soon that fine green smoke will fill their lungs," Felix gloats, his form shifting between the blond I had come to associate with Felix and the form that looked like Pan. "Then fog their brains. And unlike the rest of this town, I'm not just going to take their memories."

I raise my arm, feeling the magic coalesce in my palm, but Felix turns and I find myself drained and being dragged to him, one of his strong arms wrapping around my throat and holding me against his chest. "P-Papa," I gasp, my oxygen supply dwindling the longer I'm held.

"Because of their special meaning to you, I'm going to take their lives and I want you to know that your daughter will be the last to die. It will be painful and I'm going to take my time to draw it out as long as possible. And you won't do a thing to stop me. Do you know why? Because without magic, you are right back to where you started—the village coward."

I pull on the arm with my hands, digging my nails into the flesh with no affect. He doesn't even bleed in this form. Felix grins, walking out of the store and dragging me along with him, leaving Papa lying on the floor and struggling with the leather cuff. How had Felix even gotten it off in the first place? "You….Won't…." I'm forced to trail off as he tightens his hold, cutting off the oxygen entirely before letting go just enough to draw in breath.

We approach the group, still standing in the middle of the street. ""A-are you going to be okay," Henry asks, facing Regina. His mother bends to look in his eyes, the tips of her fingers tilting his head up gently.

"The important thing is that you will be," she tells.

"No, he won't," Felix states mockingly, getting everyone's attention. He grins, pushing me forwards towards Pan and Hook. My father catches me easily, helping to support me as I get my breath back.

"He has the—"

With a wave of his hand, Felix has all of us frozen in place—me with one hand clutching my throat and the other holding onto my boyfriend, Hook with one arm holding onto my upper arm and his other arm outstretched, Pan with one hand in mine and the other half raised and formed to make a ball of defensive magic, Belle and Neal standing with their hands in their pockets, Emma, Henry, and Regina holding onto one another, and Granny, David, and Sow doing the same.

"Curse?" He holds the scroll up with another grin. "That I do. Look at you all. A captive audience. I could play with you like a pack of dolls, couldn't I?" If I get loose I'm going to punch him in his smug little face. His form flickers again before settling back on Felix. "But I think I'll start with these two." He walks until he's standing in front of Neal and Belle. "Hmm, you both look so adorable. Hard to tell which one to kill first. No, it isn't." He points at my brother. "You. You first."

I smile internally as Papa storms out of his shop and over to Felix, pulling the demon away from my brother. "Stay away from them," he snarls.

"Well, how about this? The worm has teeth." Felix is untroubled by Papa's rage, but he doesn't know him like I do. Papa is the protective type of person, and if you mess with the people he cares about, it won't end pretty for you. "What you're here to  _Pwotect_ your  _wuved_ ones?"

"I'm not gonna let you touch any of them."

"Oh, and I'd like to see that."

"Oh, you will. Because I have a job to finish, and I have to do it, whatever it takes. No loopholes." The fear is back, an absolutely horrific feeling twisting around in my stomach. Whatever it is Papa is planning on doing, it will be awful. "And what needs to be done has a price—a price I'm finally willing to pay." He looks over at my brother sadly. "I used the curse to find you, Bae, to tell you I made a mistake, to make sure you had a chance at happiness. And that happiness is possible—just not with me. I accept that."

"Pretty, pretty words."

"I love you, Bae. And I love you, Belle. You made me stronger."

"Stronger? Yes." Felix lets out an amused sound.

"And you, Aveena, my little bird, I love you. You loved me when no one else was capable of it, when I was at my worst. You were always there to sit on my lap and tell me all the stories you made up and the things you did." Tears sting my eyes and fall down my cheeks, and I just want to fling myself at Papa and never let him go, to turn back time before this curse ever happened so I could have a few more precious moments with my papa. "If you hurt that little girl, Pan, I know Hook and David will make you wish you hadn't."

"But still….No magic."

"Oh, but I don't need it." Papa turns to face Felix again, his sad but determined gaze no longer focused on me. "You see, you may have lost the shadow part of you, but there's one thing you're forgetting." They're basically nose to nose now.

"And what's that?"

"So have I. I sent it away with something to hide." He raises his hand as his shadow soars through the air to them, his free hand clutching the back of Felix's shirt to keep him close. The dagger lands in Papa's outstretched hand as his shadow disappears into his body. Felix struggles to break Papa's hold, but my papa is stronger than he looks and is able to hold him easily.

"Ah, what are you doing?!"

"You see, the only way for you to die….Is if we  _both_ die. And now….Now….I'm….Ready."  _No, please, no, I'm not ready, Papa!_ He brings the knife up and down harshly, pushing it through Felix's back and into himself. Felix lets out an agonized scream, his hands balling into fists from the pain. A cloud of black smoke swirls around them and when it clears away Papa is clutching at a black figure, the Alp's true form.

It was black and all sharp angles with eyes that glowed red like dying embers. "Rumple, please," it wheezes in a deep rasping voice. "You can stop this. Remove the dagger. I can turn back time, never allow you or Peter into Neverland. The both of us can have a happy ending without ever meeting each other."

"Ah, but I'm a villain and villains don't get happy endings." He twists the dagger, golden light beginning to emanate from the wound. The golden magic envelopes the pair, glowing brighter and brighter before it disappears all together, the scroll the only thing left of them both. The magic keeping all of us still releases us and I fall back against Pan. The sobs that rack my body are uncontrollable along with the gut-wrenching scream that tears out of my throat.

Pan and I both drop to the ground, the older boy holding me tightly and rocking me as I cried. The depression was an immediate thing and not even my biological father or boyfriend holding me could make it fade even the tiniest bit. It swelled inside me, like a black hole that was going to devour everything that makes me happy. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Papa was always the one to keep me on a good path, the only person that ever really cared about me besides Dad.

"I've got you," Pan whispers in my ear, continuing to rock me back and forth in his lap. "I have you, Aveena, and I promise that I'll never let you go. Shh, I have you, sweet girl, I have you. You're safe now."

"Papa," I sob, my eyes squeezed shut and my hands clutching my hair. "I want my papa, I want my papa!" A few strands of my hair are ripped out before my dad kneels next to me and takes my hands in his to keep me from pulling any more out. "I want my papa, I want my papa." The chant continues until Leroy catches my attention.

He ran over to our group, panting and screaming and completely terrified. "It's coming from all sides. There's no escape!" I don't want to escape, I want to go to my papa. I don't want to be here when he's not. Just leave me here and let me die in peace. A rumbling starts in the distance and I cling tightly to Hook, needing some semblance of comfort.

"We're going to get out of this, Vee," Dad tells me confidently. "Just you wait and see, we always do. I love you, Vee, I love you so much." He carefully stands up with me held tightly in his arms as Emma demands to know the price of undoing the curse.

"It's not  _our_ price," Regina tells the blonde. "It's mine."

"What are you talking about," Emma asks.

"It's what I felt when I….First held it. I have to say good bye to the thing I love most."

"Henry?" I stare ahead, my vision blurred by the tears that seem like they'll never stop. The depression is growing quickly, my body becoming numb but the sadness enveloping me like a dark spell that will never let me out of its grasp.

"I can never see him again. I have no choice. I have to undo what I started."

"The curse that brought us to Storybrooke," Snow guesses with surprised evident in her voice.

"That  _created_ Storybrooke. It doesn't belong here. And neither do any of us."

"Breaking the curse destroys the town," David translates for the rest of the group and I can feel Pan take me from my dad.

"It will wink out of existence as though it were never here. And everyone would go back to where they're from, prevented from ever returning."

"You'll go back to the Enchanted Forest," Emma states.

"All of  _us_. Except Henry. He will stay here because he was born here."

"Alone?" Pan's familiar scent makes me relax against him, the smell of the woods something that's comforting to me.

"No. You will take him, because you're the savior. You were created to break the curse and once again, you can escape it."

"I-I don't want to. We'll both go back with everyone."

"That's not an option. I can't be with him. If I don't pay the price, none of this will work." Thunder rumbles overheard, the wind picking up and blowing some of my dark hair in my face.

"Emma, you have to go," Snow instructs.

"I just found you," she replies sadly.

"And now it's time for you to leave us again. For your best chance, for his."  _For your best chance. When is anything a good thing when that sentence is used? Emma was sent away to a different world, Henry was given up for adoption, and Papa sacrificed himself. All to give someone their best chance when all it really did was tear families apart._

"No. N-no, I-I—" Rain beings to fall, soaking into my clothes and mixing with the tears on my face. "I'm not….Done. I'm the savior, right? I'm supposed to bring back all the happy endings. That's what Henry always said."

"Happy endings aren't always what we think they will be. Look around you. You've touched the lives of everyone here."

"But we're a family."

"Yes, and we always will be. You gave us that."

"You and Henry can be a family," David tells his daughter. "And you can get your wish. You can be like everyone else. You can be happy."

"It's time for you to believe in yourself, Emma. It's time for you to find hope."

"I've known you for some time," Regina says," and all I've wanted was for you to get the hell out of my life so I can be with my son. But, really, what I want…." I hear her voice crack, but I can't bring myself to look at my nephew, someone else I can add to my list of people lost to me for the rest of my life. "Is for Henry to be happy. We have no choice. You have to go."

"Okay," Emma whispers

* * *

Everyone is gathered at the town line to say their goodbyes, my tears having dried up for the moment. I stand in between my dad and Pan, my eyes focused to the boy that everyone has come to love in some way or another. Henry walks over to me after saying his goodbye to Neal, wrapping his arms around my waist tightly as I hold onto him and rest my head on top of his. "I love you, Aunt Mo-Mo."

"I love you too, Squirt," I whisper back. "Be good alright, but don't be too good. Pick some fights and eat all your vegetables, and….and don't finish a whole gallon of ice cream by yourself because Whale says that's a bad thing." He laughs a little, pulling back to look at me before his gaze moves to Pan.

"You be nice to my aunt," he demands, poking Pan in the chest. "You don't get to hurt her feelings or make her sad, you're her boyfriend now and your job is to make sure she's happy and doesn't get into too much trouble."

"I promise," Pan nods. Henry gives Pan one last hard look before walking back to Neal, letting his father hug him. Pan wraps an arm around my waist, both of us looking past the Dwarves at the green smoke enveloping Storybrooke. It will take us all back, back to the devastation that is now our realm, back to the Ogre Wars.

"My gift to you," I hear Regina tell Emma. "Is good memories, a good life for you….And Henry." Henry joins both of his moms and I notice a small vile in her hand. "You'll have never given him up. You'll have always been together."

"You would do that," Emma asks, tears gathering in her eyes.

"When I stop Felix's curse, and you cross that town line, you will have the life you've always wanted."

"But it won't be real."

"Well, your past won't, but your future will. Now go. There isn't much time left, and the curse will be here any minute." I bite the inside of my cheek, trying my damnedest not to cry. Emma and Henry climb into Emma's yellow Bug, and my breathing quickens as the tears come again. Pan holds me tightly to him, letting me rest my head on his chest.

"Sing to me," he whispers suddenly," sing me our song before we're ripped away from here." I take a few deep breaths, holding out one hand until I feel my dad take it.

" _When your soul finds the soul it was waiting for_ ," I sing softly, my voice breaking. " _When someone walks into your heart through an open door. When your hand finds the hand it was meant to hold, don't let go. Someone comes into your world, suddenly your world has changed forever_." I can feel the hair on my arms stand on end as the magic begins to surround us and my nephew disappears over the town line. And then I'm free of the earth, floating in a blackness as my clothing begins to shift back to what I was wearing when I was taken in the first place.

When the smoke clears, all of us are standing in a clearing with Aurora and Philip staring at us in shock. "Goddammit," I curse in annoyance," I'm in my freaking nightgown!"

 


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know those days when nothing seems to go right? Welp, I'm having one of those days, so I'm sorry if this chapter completely sucks.

**The Borders of Camelot—Past**

Rumpelstiltskin looks around at his surroundings in distaste, the woods around him slowly decaying from their natural beauty as the war against Morgana and Mordred continues. All the use of magic was making the nature wilt, though it was not all Morgana's fault, the so-called King and his wizard were not helping it any.

Not far away, Aveena was perched in front of a dying flower, her dark hair shining with dark brown highlights in the sun. It isn't healthy for the child to remain cooped up in his castle all the time, but he had grown fond of the child and wanted to protect her at all costs, which is why she was with him now. Sounds of war brought unpleasant memories to the surface and it wasn't until he could feel his daughter's small hands clenching the fabric of his cloak that he realized they were no longer by themselves.

Arthur Pendragon stood at an appropriate distance, his keen blue eyes missing the child completely as they fixed on Rumple's face. His gold hair was tousled from the wind and there were bloodstains seeping into the red tunic he wore over his chainmail, turning the expensive cloth brown. "You came." He sounded shocked, as though he had not expected the Imp to show when he was called.

"And you're late," Rumple points out with a sneer. "Why did you call me here?"

"I need your assistance, Dark One, I cannot defeat my enemy without your help. Merlin grows weaker by the hour, his heart is yearning for the woman he loves."

" _Love_ , such a worthless emotion when you think about it. Very well! But everything comes with a price, Dearie. If you want me to give your wizard a boost, then you must give me something in return."

"Anything, what would you have?"

"Morgana's head, preferably without the bother of her body being attached to it."

"What use would you have with her head?"

"That's for me to know. Now, do we have a deal?" He waves his hand, a quill appearing there and the contract penned in gold ink appearing on the stump between the two. Arthur looks pained, as though he would regret his next choice of words.

"I refuse to behead a dead woman, my enemy or not."

"Very well, then your price for wasting my time is that pretty sword of yours—Excalibur." The man's hand goes to the hilt of his sword, already beginning to back away.

"No one unworthy shall possess this sword." Rumple opens his mouth, intending to say that Arthur was as unworthy as they came, when Aveena stepped forward with her head tilted to the side, as though she were able to hear something. "What's happening?!" The sword seemed to be reacting to something, a magic similar to Rumple's and yet lighter.

In quick succession, the sword flew out of its scabbard, did a few twirls in mid-flight, the steel singing as it cuts through the air before flying towards Aveena's outstretched hand. She held it easily, as though it weighed nothing. "It appears that Excalibur prefers my daughter to your company. I suggest you return to your men before they think you deserted them and leave you to fight Morgana and her son by yourself."

And, with one final taunting giggle, Rumple and Aveena vanished.

**Enchanted Forest—Present**

"Snow," Aurora says in shock," Morgan….What happened?"

"We're back," Snow answers sadly. I look around me at the open field, a pavilion set in the center a few feet away. "It's, uh, good to see you again, Aurora."

"You too. Morgan, are you alright? You look like you're about to cry." The Princess's gentle question has me wiping tears off my cheeks, but at least I'm not sobbing anymore. Belle grasps one of my hands, giving me a teary smile. I can't return it, there's no way in hell that will be possible so soon after losing Papa and Henry.

"Excuse me," I say in a quiet voice, walking away from the others towards the trees where I would, hopefully, find silence. There's too much going on for me right now, I just want to curl up in a ball to sleep and never wake up again. A few feet in, I curl up at the base of an old tree, the ancient magic that flows through it keeping me warm as it seeps into me. The events of the past few weeks catches up to me—being kidnapped by Pan, fighting an evil nightmare monster, watching Papa sacrifice himself, watching Henry drive off into the sunset with his mom while I was transported back to fairy-tale land in my damn nightgown.

I close my eyes, focusing on taking deep breaths, and before I know it, I've fallen asleep.

_The dream was life-like, I almost didn't notice it was a dream, but one thing was missing—the familiar thrum of magic that ran through Storybrooke. I was frozen in place once more, forced to watch as Papa held Felix close to him in a twisted sort of hug and stabbed them both. I couldn't control anything as I was freed from the spell, dropping to my knees. That was where the dream differed from the real life events._

_I was suddenly by myself on the street save for Papa's body, everyone else has vanished as a great purple cloud of magic was rolling towards me, swallowing the town as it went. I crawl to Papa, wrapping my arms around him and getting no response. The cloud of magic hits hard, swirling around me like water does to the boats docked in the harbor. It wasn't suffocating, but it was uncomfortable and terrifying. I look down at my hands, the high-pitched whistle of the wind inside the cloud making me want to cover my ears._

_I froze in the motion of raising my hands to my ears when I saw my palms, suddenly not caring about the wind. They were stained crimson, a familiar dagger clutched tightly in my left hand. That's when, despite the state I was in, I realized that everything was turned around like a reflection in the mirror, I had used the left hand to kill Papa, and the cloud was coming from where the town line lay when that's where it should have ended._

I jerk away from the tree, landing hard on the leaf-strewn ground and scrambling away as quickly as I can. "Vee, are you alright?" Dad kneels down in front of me, cupping my face in his warm hand and looking into my tear-filled eyes.

"It's nothing," I say with a sniffle," just a bad dream." He doesn't look convinced, but he says nothing about it as he picks me up and carries me back to the group. Horses were gathered in the clearing, everyone seeming to have claimed one except for me. "Put me down, I've been walking by myself since I was one."

"What's the point, I have to help you up on my horse anyway. We're off to find a ship."

"No." My answer seems to shock him as he sets me down on my feet. "The only place I'm going from here is back home to the castle."

"The Queen's castle?"

"Papa's, it's all I have left of him, so that's where I'm going. I'll rebuild it from the ground up if I have to, I don't care, but I'm not going to spend the rest of my life sailing from place to place on a stupid ship!"

"Easy, Vee, I never said you had to."

"What's going on," Charming asks, walking over to us.

"It's nothing, just a misunderstanding." David opens his mouth to say something, but Hook cuts him off impatiently. "Why don't you go take care of your own family while I handle what's left of mine!" David squares his jaw, turning his back to my dad to look down at me. Oh sure, I get transported back in my nightgown, but he gets the fancy clothes.

"Are you okay, Morgan?"

"I'm fine," I nod, wrapping my arms around myself as the wind picks up. The magic in it calms my nerves, but as the wind picks up even more, I can make out a hum as familiar as my own voice. Swiftly, I hold out my hand and Excalibur appears there seconds afterwards, its sheath showing up at my feet. David looks impressed with the way I handle the blade, sliding it into its sheath before kissing the jewel-encrusted hilt, hugging it tightly to my body.

"I know that look, that's your  _I've got a plan_ face and it's never a good plan," Pan says, stepping up beside me and shaking his head. "Whatever your plan is, just forget it because it's probably suicidal."

"So what if it is, maybe I'm tired of living as the daughter of the Dark One or the poor kidnapped little girl. News flash, apparently I'm neither of those things anymore!" I push past the others and over to where Neal and Belle are standing, the former wiping tears off the latter's face. "I'm going home, are you guys coming with me?"

"Let's, uh, let's go with the others first to get our bearings. I bet Papa taught you how to get back to his castle from anywhere big, right?"

"Yeah, and Regina's castle isn't difficult to get out of and back home. I have magic enough to make a map in my head, it's two days' ride from here, so y'all can catch up with me later, I guess."

"Vee," Hook calls, gesturing for me to join him. I walk until I'm standing in front of him, letting him pull me into a tight hug. "You know how to get a message to me if you need to or just want to?"

"Yeah, magic."

"I was thinking more along the lines of  _these_." He pulls two undamaged cell phones out of his pocket and gives me one with a wink. "The magic in this world will keep them charged and I've been learning how to text in my free time." I take the one he's offering and slide it into my boot before throwing my arms around him in a tight hug. "I'll try and visit soon, sweetheart, I promise."

"Don't make promises, they never seem to turn out the way we plan them to." I pull back and wrap my arms around myself, watching him climb into the saddle expertly. "But you will come and visit me or I'll hunt you down and give you a black eye." He laughs a little, bending slightly to pat my head with his good hand before straightening back up. "I…." I take a deep breath, hands balling into fists at my side. "I-I love….You."

"Love you too, Vee."

* * *

"Are you two sure about this," David asks anxiously as I use magic to morph my nightgown into a more appropriate outfit for both the cold and for riding. "Why don't you come with us and regain your strength before setting out for your castle?"

"Haven't you heard, Prince Charming, I'm an impatient teenage girl with little to no common sense."

"And apparently I'm the one I charge of making sure she doesn't go and kill herself," Pan adds, lifting me up onto the horse before climbing up behind me. David gives Pan an untrustworthy look, his gaze sliding from the teen and back to me.

"I don't trust him," he says.

"Thanks, I'm not right beside you or anything."

"That's enough, boys," I interrupt before David could pull Pan off the horse and break his face. "I'll be fine, and I'll even send you a letter when I get to where I'm going." Reluctantly he hands the reigns over to Pan, patting my leg before taking a step back so that we can leave. Pan digs his heels into the horse's sides and we take off at a fast gallop, the map I'd made now residing in Pan's head as well. I lean back, content to let him navigate us through the woods while I enjoyed the warmth he offered. "It'll be dark in a few hours."

"Mm-hmm," he hums a little. "How are you doing?"

"As well as can be expected." We fall silent after that and my thoughts drift to happier times, both before the curse was cast and before it was broken.

Later that night finds Pan and I situated around a fire, my back against a tree and a cloak keeping the cold at bay. I don't notice the usual sounds of the woods had quieted until a high-pitched shrieking overhead gets my attention. I lived in the Enchanted Forest for seventeen years, but I've never heard  _that_ sound before. My head snaps up, eyes drawn to the fast moving shapes flying through the trees. "What are those?"

"No clue, but I bet they aren't anything good."


	47. Chapter 47

**Dark Castle—Past**

Rumple ran his hands through his hair, tossing aside another scroll that detailed the legends of Excalibur. He still couldn't find the reason why a powerful sword would choose his daughter over a knight turned King. Sure, she had a pure soul—the pure soul of a child yet to corrupted—but that still doesn't mean she needed such a weapon.

He sighs, his forehead resting on the table with his arms hanging limply at his sides, his strange colored eyes closed in thought. Could it be that the sword came to her because hers was the only worthy soul in the area? He supposed that could be it, but she had no trace of royal blood in her veins and many of the old legends stated that the owner of Excalibur was supposed to be a leader of sorts.

What could a little girl possibly be a leader of except the small dolls she enjoyed playing with and Trista's old cat? Perhaps her Pirate father was worth something when he was younger and so that titled passed to her without anyone's knowledge? That was more likely than any other thing he could come up with, her father may have had royal blood in his veins and never knew it.

"Papa," a small voice calls out. He raises his head just enough to peek at his daughter, the corners of his mouth tilting up in a smile when he sees her sitting on the floor with the Holy Grail in her hands. "Are you okay?"

"Papa's fine," he answers, his voice giving away just how tired he really was. She nods with a bright smile, going back to staring at her reflection in the cups surface. All her movements had a graceful quality to them, one you'd have to know her well enough to see, like a small bird just learning how to fly. That's what she reminded him of, a baby bird getting used to life around others. He smiles again at the thought, leaning back in his chair to observe the girl easier.

She is his little bird.

**Enchanted Forest—Present**

Pan and I stand quickly, trying to follow the shapes as best as we can with no real luck. "We can't use magic," Pan says, his hands faltering as another shape blurs past our heads," they're moving too fast."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," I grumble, feeling the magic coursing through my veins like blood. If they would just stay in one spot for a second, I might be able to bring one down or at least injure it in some way or another. "What are they?"

"Not sure, some type of monkey is what they look like." He shrugs, not caring, but the fact that a monkey is on the attack and soaring through the air gives me pause. "What? What is it, Aveena?"

"Flying monkeys," I turn to face him with a disbelieving expression. "Really, as if it's not bad enough, we get mugged by  _flying monkeys_?!" Can't a girl grieve in peace before the crazy shit starts happening? I raise my hands on defense again as a monkey swoops lower than before, chattering away. "Did I just get chewed out by a monkey?"

"Stranger things have happened."

"Yeah, the sad part is that you're telling the truth." While I was talking to Pan, another monkey had swooped down, its taloned foot wrapping around one of my wrists and jerking me into the air, rising higher and higher until he pushed through the canopy of the trees. Another monkey flies after the one holding me, Pan in its grasp, screeching as its wings beat powerfully against the wind.

"Aveena!"

"Pan!" I suddenly picture a scene from Van Helsing when a vampire has Anna in a similar grasp, in that movie she had been able to cut the vampire's ankle and drop safely to the ground, but if I fell right now I would probably break my neck. I look up at the monkey, watching as its face contorts into a strange type of smile, the fur on its body a pale gray. The thing that struck me the most was how human its eyes were, almost too intelligent for a simian. Had magic turned someone into a monkey slave? "You know who sends flying monkeys after people?"

"I have an idea."

"Me too, I just hope I'm wrong because I don't think I have enough strength to lift a house, let alone drop one on someone."

* * *

"So," I ask after a while in silence, now cradled against the monkeys' chest instead of dangling by my wrist," you know any good traveling games?" Pan gives a sarcastic laugh, cringing slightly when the monkey carrying him gives another screech.

"How long do you suppose we've been flying?"

"I don't know, my watch doesn't tell time." I laugh at the unintentional Spy Kids reference, feeling pleased with myself. Oh great, now I really want to watch movies in a land that doesn’t even have freaking TV. I let out a frustrated grumble, wishing I had a ponytail to keep my hair out of my face as the wind whips it around again and back in my eyes. “Where do you think she set up shop?”

“That castle seems to be our destination, so I’ll say right there!” He has to yell over the sound of the wind and the noise the monkey’s wings make. I chance a peek below us, finding a castle made of white stone with a garden on one of the higher levels and several intimidating spikes surrounding it. Regina’s castle—I guess I ended up here after all. That figures, but at least I know I can poof out of here and back to Papa’s castle.

Slowly, the monkeys begin their descent, putting us down on the uppermost balcony and shoving us into the room. It’s obviously a bedroom, the large four-poster dominating the room along with a vanity and a wardrobe. An onyx rug covers the floor, a pattern of interlaced runes sewed on it in silver thread with a large R directly in the center. Alright, so this is Regina’s room. I bet if I opened the wardrobe, it would be filled with all of the dark weird clothes she liked to wear in this land.

“Ah, you’ve arrived sooner than I expected.” I turn at the unfamiliar voice, finding a woman standing in the doorway of the room. With her long, curling red hair, blue eyes, and curvy figure she could be considered drop dead sexy, but the green skin is a definite turn off.

“Well, monkeys are faster than taxis,” I shrug, moving a step closer to Pan. The woman grins, her teeth startlingly white against her moss-colored complexion. “Really though, I’ve heard the saying ‘turning green with envy’, but aren’t you taking it a bit far?”

“That’s quite enough, Aveena.” Oh great, another person I’ve never met before that seems to know my name. Papa, what’d you do to piss this one off? “Don’t look so shocked, I’ve been watching you for quite some time.” The longer I study her, the surer I become that this is the type of lady who sneaks into your house at night and kills your pet just to send a message. Insanity burns brightly in her eyes and echoes in her laugh. “You’re the one that Rumpelstiltskin raised—the daughter of a pirate and an unfaithful wife, the only one in years who’s been able to handle Excalibur.”

My hand moves to rest on the hilt of Excalibur on instinct, the cool metal reassuring me that while she has magic, it won’t work on the blade. “Yeah, Cal and I are good buddies, we could almost be one in the same. Would you like to test the theory?” I pull the sword out of its sheath, taking on the proper position to fight with it. “Magic against steel?”

“Oh, I don’t think so.” She laughs again, the sound grating on my nerves. “No, I know all about that sword, it deflects magic and I don’t feel like dying just yet.” She nods to the monkeys behind me, smiling as they take hold of Pan and me and drag us out of the room. “I’ll talk to you soon, dear, don’t worry.”

We’re dragged to the lowest level of the castle, the dungeons made of dark stone with piles of hay at the bottom of the cells. I’m thrown in one with Pan thrown into the one beside me, the bars slammed shut and caging us in. It smells damp here, the straw moldy from how long it’s been down here without being changed. I wrinkle my nose, curling up in the corner farthest from the straw and beginning to shiver. “She’s carved runes in the stone,” Pan says softly, beginning to pace,” they block any magic we might use.”

“She was prepared,” I nod,” but prepared for who? Those runes are way stronger than the ones she would need if she wanted us to stay put. She’s expecting someone stronger, someone like my Papa.” And I have no way to stop her—no house to drop, no water to throw, I’m officially screwed.

 


	48. Chapter 48

Depression is a hard thing to fight, it’s crippling and painful and I just want to rise above it, but I every time I try, I feel like I just get sucked further under the heavy black tide of it. It’s like facing up against a dragon with only a stick as a weapon—the beast is big and scary and makes me want to curl up and end everything. I stay curled up in a ball on the cold stone of the dungeon, eyes closed as I pray once more for sleep.

My dreams make the world disappear, in them I’m back in my castle with Papa and we’re practicing magic. I’m safe and warm there, but when I’m awake everything comes rushing back. The cold, the hunger pains, the pain of having my heart shatter into a thousand pieces. Sure, Pan kept trying to talk to me, to keep me off the edge, but I had grown used to ignoring him as the weeks wore on. The Wicked Witch made appearances every other day, gloating until she felt better about herself.

I’ve made drowning her out an art form, her words going in one ear and out the other. Why should I care if she hates Regina? I don’t give a shit who she hates because it doesn’t change anything, I’m still a prisoner here and she’s still a green-skinned toad lady.

Lately it’s been quiet, no visits and no food or fresh water. The nightmares keep me up most nights now, the same one playing over and over every time I close my eyes. In it I was the one to kill Papa, I was left kneeling over his body with bloody hands and his dagger. The sweet dreams had vanished and I felt like I was about to fall over the edge into the dark abyss of insanity.

And then one day I heard voices, familiar and echoing off the stone. Distinctly male, speaking of how they would need to clean out the dungeons ad make repairs to the stables. And then the voices cut off abruptly, their footsteps loud as they run towards the cells, the bars screeching in protest as they’re opened for the first time in what seems like forever. I stare up at the man kneeling beside me, taking in his worry briefly even before I could place where I’ve seen him before.

He has a dark beard streaked through with white, large nose, and eyes that look older than the rest of him. At the moment, his mouth is moving as he speaks, his words distorted and unintelligible to my ears as I focus on picturing him with his mouth firmly fixed in a frown. Leroy….Grumpy….Dwarf. Had they taken the castle? I close my eyes, meaning to blink away the exhaustion that plagues me, but instead I fall deeper into sleep and the nightmare takes hold.

The next time I force my eyes open, sunlight is shining and I’m lying on a soft four-poster bed. Slowly and painfully, I manage to sit up with my back propped up against the headboard, looking around the room I’m in. It’s large, the round shape of it letting me know it’s a tower room, the floor a mosaic of golds and marble—across from my bed are two doors that lead out to a balcony, on the far left wall are rows upon rows of books, and on the right one is a vanity and wardrobe.

I clutch at my head, feeling cold even though the sunlight streaming over me is warm. What the hell? I push the heavy comforter off of me. I’m still dressed in the clothes I was in earlier, so at least that hasn’t changed, though they didn’t necessarily smell good. Barefoot, I walk out on the balcony to have a look around, finding the garden I’d noticed when I flown here just one story below me. So I haven’t left Regina’s castle after all.

Shivering, I walk back into the room and over to the wardrobe, pushing through the clothes to try and find something worth wearing that wouldn’t make me look like a demented turkey. “Feathers,” I frown,” why so many feathers? I hate feathers.”

“They don’t like you much either,” Regina remarks as she enters my room, dressed in her old clothes of black silks and velvets. I wish I had boobs like hers. “Those aren’t meant for you anyway, Morgan, I just haven’t had time to move them into my new chambers yet.” She shrugs, waving her hand and letting her magic wrap around me until my clothes had changed. The gown I wore was mainly black with a burgundy silk making up the bodice and trailing down the right side of the gown with black detailing around the hem.

There are no sleeves or straps, so it’s just the corset holding it in place. “I forgot how heavy these are.” I turn to look at my reflection in the mirror hanging on the wardrobe door, running my hands over the soft material. The necklace Hook gave me was still in its place, the vile resting against my collarbone. On my head is a diamond circlet, silver twined around it artfully to make it look like it was made out of silver flowers and vines. “How’d you know about this?” I touch it lightly, the silver standing out against my dark hair.

“I knew everything going on in the Enchanted Forest except inside Rumpelstiltskin’s castle.”

“He gave it to me when we were out in the garden.”

“Exactly. I watched him put it on you and I saw how happy it made you.” She squeezes my shoulder with a sad smile. “I thought you’d want a piece of that old happiness back.” I can’t manage a smile to return, the sadness too much for anything.

“Where’s the wicked bitch?”

“Gone, but don’t worry, I plan on destroying her.” I nod, walking back to the bed, the heels of my new shoes clicking against the floor. “I get that you’re depressed, sweetheart, I know how you feel….” She trails off, sitting beside me and taking one of my hands in hers. “We just have to keep moving through this and hopefully it’ll get better with some time. You can always come to me if you feel like talking to someone who doesn’t sugarcoat things.”

“Thanks, but right now I wanna be alone.” I keep my head bowed, looking down at the floor until I hear the bedroom door close and I know Regina’s gone. My eyes move to the balcony and the blue skies beyond.  _I could end it all, I’d just have to lean a little too far over the railing and then it would all be over. I could be back with my papa._  My gaze moves to the vanity and where Excalibur rests one it.  _Or I could use my blade to stop everything_. I shake the dark thoughts away, kicking off my shoes and curling up on the soft mattress. I stare ahead at the wall, letting sleep take me away from this place once more and praying for sweet dreams.

_ I’m back in Storybrooke, but it’s different than the other times in that it seems to be after I realize that I’ve stabbed Papa and as the cloud begins to clear away. The crippling guilt keeps me on my knees as a new person walks towards me, their feet coming into view. I look up, finding the shape of a body made out of swirling darkness with two red slits to make up its eyes. “Felix,” I breathe, my thoughts turning back to the Shadow that had ruined everything. _

_ “No,” it snarls in a deep baritone voice. “Your fault, your fault! You brought this on yourself the moment you followed Pan! _ ”

_ “I didn’t do this,” I scream back, throwing the dagger at the new Alp. “I never stabbed my papa, this was Felix’s doing!” I stand quickly, slapping and hoping to make contact with what would be the thing’s cheek, but my hand passes through the shadow and a searing burning pain cuts into my palm. I jerk back in surprise, my hand clenched into a fist as though it would stop the agony traveling up my arm. _

Shaking wakes me up, David leaning over me with his wife standing just behind him. “It’s only a nightmare,” David says softly yet urgently,” Morgan you need to calm down.” I pull away, curling up against the wall with tears stinging my eyes. “Morgan, what’s wrong with your hand?” I look down, not realizing until then that the pain had never left and was still clenched and shaking. Gently, David uncurls my fingers to have a look.

Burned into the palm of my hand is an old fashioned A with several ancient interlaced runes surrounding it. The tears fall freely now as I stare down at the brand mark with wide eyes, small whimpering escaping my lips. “No,” I sob,” no, not possible, no!” I bring my knees to my chest, hands clenching my hair as I rock and forth. “Not real, not real, not possible! No, no!”

“Go get Regina, tell her to bring a sleeping potion .” I scream then, the type of scream that felt like it would never stop, a scream of loss and grief and pain. A scream that conveyed everything I feel, one that you only hear at certain times, all high-pitched and full of agony. I want my papa back!


	49. Chapter 49

"It's a lacking rune," Regina says, my branded hand held gently in both of hers. "It's ancient and the A in the center is the first initial of the person who did this—probably another Alp if Morgan's nightmares hold any real meaning. This new Alp means to make her suffer for playing a part in Felix's demise." She shrugs with a frown, tracing the runes.

"That's not entirely right," I say quietly," they're interlaced, that means something else, it means the Alp wants to possess me. It'll try and take me over the way Felix did Pan, or something similar to that process." I stare down at the runes, pale against the tanned skin of my palm and looking distorted as all dark runes do. "Papa would know how to fix it, but my papa's gone."

"Well, lucky for you that you have the next best person—you have me." I nod, not really paying attention to anyone as I begin to drift in and out of sleep—catching bits and pieces of the same nightmare. Small things had changed in it, the grief was beginning to fade.

Three weeks later, the grief is mainly bottled up inside and the Alp was working its mojo without anyone suspecting it. It's clear to no one but myself that I'm slowly losing more control the harder I try to fight, so why bother fighting? Why shouldn't I just mix up a potion and kick the Alp out? With a smile, I walk through the halls of the palace towards Regina's potion room. It's empty, all the important people upstairs in the council room arguing.

All the necessary ingredients are grouped together, ready to brew once they reach a decision about what would be best for me. I'm tired of waiting, tired of letting other people decide my fate while I sit on the sidelines like a damsel in distress. I pour a bit of each in a small cauldron, stirring the liquid until it was a crimson color. With a dark laugh, I pour the potion into a small vile and then down its contents in one go, coughing and sputtering afterwards.

It was like trying Vodka for the first time without the burn. Shaking in pain, I drop to my knees as the Alp is forced out of me, the black smoky shadow screeching before dissipating entirely—destroyed for good. The mark on my hand slowly fades but doesn't disappear entirely, the bottle holding my emotions beginning to fissure and letting them seep out. I squint around me as the room begins to spin, the dizziness forcing me further down until I'm lying on the cold stone.

I squeeze my eyes shut, but the dizziness only intensifies until it suddenly stops a few minutes later—so joltingly that I'm jerked to the side. Blinking in the harsh and sudden light, I look around me at the new and unfamiliar surroundings. Instead of the stone of the castle I'm sitting in the exact center a meadow. "What," I ask, voice hoarse from disuse. "Where the hell…?"

"You're imagining things," a cold voice from behind me states. I turn slightly, jumping when I notice just who's standing there. It was like looking into a fun-house mirror, but instead of me being super tall or distorted, I look like a completely different person. My reflection's thick hair is hanging loose in waves, a shade darker than my natural coloring; everything seems to be a shade off—the eyes too much darker, the skin too pale, the smile too twisted to belong to me.

The dress is all black and clinging too tightly for it to be something I would willingly pick out for myself. I come to the conclusion slowly, my mind struggling to process things after the intense reaction to the potion. This isn't the normal me, this is the dark side I keep hidden away and out of reach of the world—she's the side no one would want to meet in a dark alley if they wanted to come out the other end with all their fingers and credit cards. "You're—"

"Yes," she smiles, a smile that was truly evil, a smile I learned from Papa. "I'm the you that's been suppressed all these years, I'm the price of that magic you just enacted. Now you're trapped in that pretty little head of yours and I have free reign." She laughs, twirling a lock of hair around one slender finger. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and have a little fun. Good luck escaping." Smoke begins to swirl around her feet, dark and heavy. If I let her leave now, she'll take over my weakened body and destroy everything!

Not thinking entirely before I act, I lunge forward and tackle the reflection to the ground, bring my fist down with enough force to send the reflection into unconsciousness. Breathing hard and still a little out of it, I lay back on the soft grass, breathing hard as I try to figure out how to get back to the real world.

**Somewhere in the Real World….**

Killian shivers, sitting up on the narrow bed the inn provided and looking around to make sure that no one was in the room with him. That was strange, it was like the air had shifted just enough that he had noticed it, almost enough to be purposeful. "Who's there," he calls out, his voice seeming to echo in the silence, too loud even though he knows that it had been spoken in a normal tone. When no one steps forward, Killian lights the candle on his bedside table, the faint glow illuminating the room and chasing away the shadows of sleep.

No one is in the room except for himself, making him wonder if he was finally losing his mind. He sighs, flopping back down on the bed and burying his face in the lumpy pillow, longing for the soft ones in Storybrooke. He turns his face, knowing he'd be no use to anyone if he smothered himself, but as he turned his face, his blue eyes land on the little cellular device that rested beside the candle. He was certain that Aveena would have contacted him by now, but the device had remained silent no matter how many of those messages he had sent her when nobody was looking.

Something is wrong, he knows that much, but did it have anything to do with his daughter? It would have been easy for her to have lost her own device or she was just ignoring him. He'd never be the father that Rumpelstiltskin has been to her, he doesn't know all her little quirks or what to do when she got sick. Rumple took all that away from him, but he also raised a girl to be proud of. "Vee, what's going on," he whispers to no one, letting out a heavy sigh.

 _"Help_ …."

The whispered cry had been unexpected and made him sit straight up, looking around wildly. It had definitely came from in the room, but, after a quick look, he knew it was still empty. "Hello? Who's there?"

" _Daddy….I can't see you."_

"Aveena?!" It was silent after that, no more cried for help from that tiny, pleading voice that had so obviously belonged to his baby. "What is going on?" He tangles his fingers in his short hair, pulling slightly to ensure he wasn't dreaming. You didn't feel pain in your dreams, not actual physical pain, but he felt the sting a few hairs being pulled out. So he's awake and that voice had been real. He grabs up the phone, pressing the little button near the bottom to make the device light up. There was no message of a missed call, nor was there anything in the recent calls section to suggest that the voice had come from the phone.

 _"It's bad, Daddy, really bad. I think I'm going to die here_."

**In Morgan's Mind**

"Daddy," I shout exhaustedly," I need help!" There's no voice to return my shout this time, making me think I imagined the entire thing. I curl up next to a pond, the water clear and still like a sheet of glass, instead of my own reflection, I see my father sitting up in bed. He's in some crappy inn, looking tired and a little panicked. The other me is still unconscious next to me, her breathing nothing more than shallow gasps.

Will I be trapped in my own head forever?

**I'm sorry for such a long wait, I'm suffering from a severe case of writer's block and the keys on my laptop are being stupid again.**


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pleased to say that, while this isn't my favorite chapter, it is the fiftieth! So far, this is my longest fanfic and one of my favorites to write despite the horrible write's block I'm struggling to beat, we've reached around 104,038 words and I can't be happier! Thank y'all for the encouragement to keep this story going!

Pan moves quickly through the halls of the castle, Morgan in his arms and a silent plea on his lips. He'd found her ten minutes ago, unconscious in Regina's room with an empty vile broken next to her. It's obvious she took something, but what that something was he wasn't sure—her breathing is shallow at best and the tight corset she has on isn't helping her any. He kicks the door to his room open and sprints inside, laying her down on his bed and using magic to change her outfit into a loose nightgown.

The change is immediate, her breathing changing back to the normal rhythm of sleep. The color in her cheeks was gone, her usual light tan complexion is ashen, almost like death had already come and swept her away. "Come on, Morgan, wake up for me," he whispers desperately. "Please, please, don't die like this." Feeling things was new to Pan, unused to having any real emotions after the long years he was half-possessed by Felix. The ache in his heart was foreign, almost as painful as it had been when he was forced to watch Rumple die and Morgan crumble.

Morgan remains silent, her eyes closed and all but her chest unmoving. What's the point of having emotions when they do nothing but hinder you? He sits beside her, placing her hands on her stomach and almost flinching when he notices just how cold her body has become. There's no telling how long she's been unconscious, and the longer she's out, the smaller the chance of waking. " _Look in the wardrobe mirror_."

The sudden voice makes him question his sanity, his eyes were focused on Morgan when it sounded, and unless she was far better at ventriloquism than she let on, then there was no possible way that had just happened. "M-Morgan?"

" _The mirror, Pan, go now!_ " Yes, that was certainly his girlfriend, no one could replicate her annoyed tone that well. He moves without hesitation, throwing the wardrobe doors open and looking where she had specified. In the warped glass was Morgan, her hair disheveled and a bruise beginning to form on her cheek. " _Okay, good, so I'm not completely bonkers here._ "

"What the hell is going on?"

 _"Short version—I took a potion, kicked the Alp out, got stuck in my noggin, and now I'm fighting an evil version of myself. Honestly, I just wish I could say this is the weirdest thing to have happened to me_." She shakes her head, losing focus. " _Anyway, you need to find Regina and ask her how the hell to fix this. Believe it or not, the inside of my head is not a pretty place and my evil self fights dirty!_ "

"I'll get on that the second they get back from whatever it is they're doing. It's something on the roof."

" _Maybe they're pushing the Wicked Bitch of the West off of it_."

"Hold on, something's happening." Pan trails off, moving to look out of a window at the strangely familiar smoke moving towards them. "I-I think it's another curse."

" _Lots of smoke, probably a purple color, hurtling right for us?_ " He nods and Morgan pinches the bridge of her nose.  _"Yep, that's a curse all right and we're going to feel a stomach-dropping feeling in a few minutes or so. My suggestion is to grab your ankles, stick your head between your legs, and kiss your ass goodbye. See you on the flip side, babe."_

"Could we possibly go through this without any Boondock Saints references?"

" _I knew you weren't sleeping when I told you about—"_

Her words were drowned out when the curse hits, tearing down stone and shattering windows—Pan having to duck into the wardrobe to avoid being torn to shreds. Morgan's body was barely protected by the thick bed curtains, some of her pale flesh cut open in places. The purple and green cloud of magic envelopes them, wrapping tightly around them before whisking them away back to Storybrooke and forcing Pan into unconsciousness.

**Storybrooke—Present Day**

Morgan could hear voices, annoyingly loud voices that were forcing her to open her eyes. Fingers pry open one eye, a bright light being shined into it. "If you don't get that light out of my face, then I'm gonna open show you how much pain a teen can cause," I warn, blinking rapidly when the light goes away and is replaced with Whale's face. "What's up, Doc?"

"Ha ha," he laughs sarcastically," I've never heard that one before, Miss Gold." I give a weak smile, trying to sit up only to fall back on the bed with a pained gasp. "Easy, your body is in a severely weakened state from whatever happened back in the Enchanted Forest. You have to rest up and you're not allowed to leave this bed until I say, which means no stealing a wheelchair and sneaking out."

"Wait…We're back in the world with television?" He nods, grabbing something plastic with two small tubes sticking out that go up my nose and provide oxygen. "Hot damn, I can get all caught up on American Horror Story now."

"Do you remember anything about the time we spent back in our world?" I stay silent for a moment, trying to think up anything, but drawing a blank. "Don't worry, the rest of us don't either. It's just like when we first came here after Regina's curse."

"Technically speaking, that was Papa's curse, Regina was just the one to enforce it." Whale makes a face, handing me the remote for the TV and moving the table-tray closer to me so I could reach the glass of water sitting on it. "H-has anyone heard anything about Papa….I mean, did he come back with us?" Whale gets a sympathetic look, patting the top of my head gently. "I didn't think so. If he was still live, then he would be in here with me."

"If you need anything, Morgan, push the button and someone will come running." I nod, looking up at the ceiling until I hear the door to my room shut. The disinfectant all hospitals smell of stings my nose and makes my eyes water. I barely register the door of my room opening again, figuring that Whale or a nurse had come in to check on something.

"I-I brought you something." The accented voice makes me look at the man standing a few feet away, dressed in his usual outfit with the long leather overcoat completing it somehow. Dad shifts uncertainly from foot to foot, a bowl of something in his good hand. "The doctor fellow said that you should only have a liquid diet, but I figured that you would want something with a little more flavor than that broth they offer here." He moves then, setting the little Styrofoam bowl down on my tray for me to see.

"Chocolate pudding," I ask with a smile.

"It was either pudding or that green substance that jiggles when you move the bowl."

"You did great, Daddy." He looks pleased when I call him that, like a man whose dream has been fulfilled. I sigh, spooning some of the pudding into my mouth and swallowing it with a little difficulty. "What day is it?"

"Sunday, I believe." Great, I'll have time to watch my new episode then. "Vee….Are you sure you're alright?"

"No, I know I'm not alright and I won't be for a very long time, but I'm a good actress, I can fake the happiness until I don't have to anymore." He frowns, sitting on the edge of my bed and taking one my hands in his. I look down at them, the top of one of my hands pierced by an IV needle with the plastic tube connected to it leading up to the IV bag hanging on the stand next to my bed. It's pretty obvious from how sleepy I am that there's something other than fluids being pumped into my system, but I don't mind. I let it raise me up and place me on a cloud high above the people of Storybrooke.

I hope I don't ever have to come down.


	51. Chapter 51

I turn off the movie, looking at my father to see his reaction. He stares down at my computer, looking a little shocked and offended, good hand moving to touch his dark hair. “That’s ridiculous, I look nothing like that!” I shrug, pulling up the picture of the animated Captain Hook, looking back and forth between it and my father with delight.

“Sorry, Dad, but that’s how everyone outside of Storybrooke pictures you,” I say happily.

“Now I see why Emma gave me a strange look when she mentioned perms.” Nodding, I place my laptop on the tray and out of my way, rolling onto my side to rest my head on Hook’s chest. The steady beating of his heart relaxed me, reminding me of the nights I spent with Papa back when the thunder scared me—his heart was always steady and the rhythm of it put me to sleep on several occasions. “So, what should we watch next?”

“I’ve got a better idea.”

“And what’s that?” He looks down at me, his easy grin fading as he shakes his head quickly. “No, I know that look, Vee, and I usually get hit afterwards!”

“Oh, come on, Daddy! Just bust me out so I can shower in my own bathroom!”

“Not a chance, I do that and Whale will skin me alive.” He reopens the laptop and chooses a movie at random, shoving it at me to start. I take it from him with a bored sigh, putting the disk in the right spot and bringing up the video player in time to see the play menu of Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man’s Chest. With a smile, I start it and lean back as it begins.

After it was over, Dad was grinning from ear to ear. “Anything sound familiar?”

“Yes, the compass bit does remind me of your little field trip to the Enchanted Forest the first time.”

“Hook,” Emma says, sticking her head in my room. “We could use your help with something.”

“Of course, I’ll be right there.” She nods, giving me a forced smile before exiting and leaving Dad and I. “I’ll be back soon, Vee. Think you can manage to behave without me here?”

“I make no promises—I’m a marauder at heart.”

“I’m not going to even try to understand what you just said.” He kisses my forehead before taking his leave. I push the tray away from me, sitting up further in my bed. Movies and my dad had kept my mind occupied and seep at bay, something I was happy about considering how weird my dreams have been lately. I guess I tossed and turned a lot because I often woke with dark bruises littering my skin. I can already feel sleep pulling at me, the meds in my IV doing their job a little too well for my liking.

Biting my lip, I careful pull the tape off before removing the IV needle, setting it in the little trash bin to catch the clear liquid. I grab the stuff Regina had dropped off when I woke up from my coma and change quickly in the bathroom—simple jeans, a dark blue sweater with the marauders map on the front, a pair of combat boots, and some simple makeup. I grab the hat my nephew sent me before the first curse, almost an exact replica of the one Harrison Ford wears in Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was almost too easy to get out of the hospital, Whale was on his lunch break and so unavailable to catch me in the act of breaking out of his hospital.

It’s obvious that something big is about to go down, the townsfolk bustling more than usual as though trying to buy last minute items before holing themselves up in their homes. Not sure where I want to go considering the one person alive that I really want to see is Henry and he doesn’t remember me, I just decide to walk and enjoy the feel of the crisp afternoon air. It seemed to wake me up a little, but the pull of sleep was still there. “Morgan Elizabeth Gold, what on earth do you think you’re doing out of bed.”

I wince, turning to face the direction the voice came from and finding myself face to face with an angry Granny. “Hey, Granny, nice day out.” The old woman puts her hands on her hips, giving me a look that makes me feel guilty. “I just need some fresh air.”

“And what did Whale say about that?”

“Technically, he told me not to sneak out and steal a wheelchair, I have no compulsion to steal one of those, so I’d say I’m doing pretty well.” Her look doesn’t falter and I lower my head so that my hair hung like a curtain ad kept me from having to meet her stare. “I’ll turn myself in, in a little while, I just want some fresh air and a break from the drugs they’ve been pumping into me.” There’s a brief pause and then I feel her wrapping her arms around me in a short hug.

“Have they told you about your brother,” she asks as I wrap my arms around her and return the hug.

“Yeah, he was buried today.” _Killed by the Witch running loose in Storybrooke_. She pulls back, patting my hair down and brushing some behind my ear like I’ve always imagined mothers to do, but never experienced. “I-I’m gonna walk a little bit longer.”

“Be careful out there and don’t go into the woods.” I give her a mock salute, walking towards the park where I knew benches would be for me to sit on and rest.

The benches are made of dark wood with a little metal to keep them standing, set off to the sides of the park for parents to sit on and watch their kids on the play equipment. It’s deserted today and easy to find a bench closer to the tree line and out of the worst of the wind. I lay my head back and stare up at the sky, a bright blue with only a few clouds to drift in front of the sun. Unable to fight it any longer, I let my eyes drift closed.

**Later That Day….**

I wake with a start, finding a roof over my head and my hands and legs strapped to a bed. “Mm….” I let out a feeble moan, looking around and recognizing a few things from my room in Papa’s house. What’s going on? How did I get here and why the hell am I tied to my bed?

“She’s awake,” I hear my dad say, though I can’t spot him in the dim lighting. Regina comes into my line of sight, the crease between her brows letting on to how stumped she was about something. “Vee, are you alright?”

“I feel like someone hit me with a bat.” My head is throbbing and I can feel my hair sticking to my head in places, though I don’t know what was making it do that.

“A piece of pipe, actually. Mister Smee did it when you lashed out at him with your magic.”

“What? No, I was asleep on a bench in the park—“

“I was there, Morgan,” Regina interrupts,” you were attacking Smee, but it wasn’t you.” My brow furrows, looking over Regina’s shoulder and finding my father. “Have you been having nightmares lately? Nightmares that ended in you waking up feeling sore?”

“Um, yeah…?”

“Okay, so at least I kind of know what I’m dealing with now.”

“We think an Alp attacked you back in the Enchanted Forest,” Pan states, sitting beside me on my bed,” we think you made up a potion that pushed it out, but let the bad side, that you keep trapped inside you, loose. That side takes over when you’re asleep and weakened.”

“I’ll have to complete the potion that you tried to do—it tastes disgusting, but it should put you back on track and make that scar on your hand disappear.” I tilt my head up to look at my hand, the left one marred by interlacing runes and the old fashioned A in the center. “I want you to come with me somewhere tonight, Belle couldn’t do it, but maybe you can.”

“Do what?” The three people in my room share concerned looks, Regina taking a deep breath before she speaks again.

“Free Rumple temporarily from the control of his dagger so I can beat the Wicked Witch.”


	52. Chapter 52

“Anybody else wanna give it a go,” Zalena asks loudly, brandishing my papa’s dagger threateningly. The group of people around her shy away and I notice my papa standing a few feet away from the red-headed bitch.

“I do,” Regina calls out as we approach. The crowd parts like the red sea to allow Regina, Pan, and I through. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you? Black is  _my_ color.” I take the witch in with a sneer, the clothes she’s dressed in nearly an exact match to the stuff Regina liked to wear back in the Enchanted Forest. I take deep steadying breaths, beginning to use my ability and draw Zalena’s and Papa’s magic into me. Zalena giggles, looking positively chipper.

“But it looks so much better on me. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show up, and you brought my old prisoners.”

“Prisoner number one is going to shove her designer boots up your ass if you keep calling her that,” I snap, my eyes slowly moving to the ugly green pendant hanging around her neck. That’s what needs to be taken out. “Let my papa go, or I’ll show you just what I’m capable of doing when my dark side goes unchecked.”

“You’re not even eighteen, Aveena, what can you do to me?” I step up next to Regina so that I’m in her face, feeling my evil self beginning to stir. The potion Regina gave me is helping me control it, and now I don’t have to be afraid to let it show its head. “You’re different than a moment ago….Darker.”

“I’ll let you in on a little secret.” I lean in close to whisper in her ear. “I knocked your mommy on her ass without a problem and you’ll be no different now that I’m not restraining myself so much. If Regina doesn’t do it tonight, then you can bet your ass that I will make you hurt so much more than you thought capable.” With a superior smile, I tap the pendant with my nail. “You shouldn’t hide your weakness in plain sight,  _Dearie_ , it rarely turns out the way you planned.”

Then I step back and let Regina finish this, keeping my eyes on Papa. He gives me a slight smile and an encouraging nod, signaling that I had found the right place to strike. Zalena looks unsettled, her pale blue eyes moving back to her younger sister. “He should have chosen me,” Zalena snarls at Regina.

“Who,” Regina asks, though everyone could tell she wasn’t actually interested.

“Rumpelstiltskin.”

“ _That’s_ what this is about? You’re jealous of me?” Regina smiles at the pout that’s sprung up on Zalena’s face, the burning insanity in the woman’s blue eyes enough to let me know she’ll do whatever it takes to one up Regina. Regina takes a step back, raising her hand to gain control of the stoplight and forcing it to hurl down at Zalena, who uses her own magic to push it away—nearly hitting a couple of people with it.

“You still don’t realize what you had.” They circle each other, reminding me of all the action movies I’ve seen. “You never did. You got everything I ever wanted, and you didn’t even deserve it! But I’m gonna take it all from you!” The ginger raises both hands, forcing Regina to fly back and onto a car parked a few feet away. Regina gets up without so much as a whimper, cupping her hand and nursing a ball of flames there. Zalena waves her hand, the flames turning into green smoke before dissipating, and Zalena outstretches her hand—performing the Darth Vader choke thing, raising Regina in the air. “You can’t beat me, little sis. Everything Rumpelstiltskin taught you, he taught me, too.” Regina gasps, but doesn’t struggle, preserving oxygen as Zalena continues her rant. “But I was the better student.”

She throws Regina through the face of the clock above the library, poofing away after her. I take the moment to run to my papa, throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him as hard as I can. “Oh, my little bird,” he breathes, holding me just as tightly for a moment before pulling back, still holding my upper arms in his hands as he looks me over. “You look terrible.”

“You don’t look so great yourself.” He tailored suit is ripped and dirty, like he’s been spending a lot of time outdoors without changing. “She’s got your dagger.”

“I know, she got it when Bae brought me back. I have no choice but to obey her, I want you to go to my cabin, she doesn’t know about it and it’ll put you out of the line of fire. Take Pan with you, just in case she does make me do something, I’d rather it be him I hurt than you.”

“No.” I shake my head, tugging on his suit jacket. “No, we’re going to get your dagger back even if I have to kill that bitch to do it.” Papa inhales sharply, letting me go and taking a step back. “I love you, Papa.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.” His eyes tear up as a familiar smoke begins to twine its way up his body, both disappearing as Zalena flies overhead on her broomstick. Pan wraps his arms around me, resting his forehead on the top of my head as I clutch the front of his shirt tightly.

“I’m going to get my papa back no matter what.”

“I know you will, Morgan,” Pan says in a whisper,” I’ll help you do it, but first we have to take care of the witch.”  


* * *

“I’ve seen enemy battle plans that were easier to decode than this,” David complains, looking down at the instructions for his baby’s crib. He and Emma are sitting on the floor of Snow’s loft, while Snow, Pan, and I sit in the chairs. Okay, well, I’m sitting on Pan’s lap, but he really is sitting in a chair. Whale had agreed to release me into David’s and Regina’s custody, but I still have to check in with him every morning at nine AM sharp or he’ll hunt me down and drag me back to my hospital bed kicking and screaming.

The pieces of the crib are scattered on the floor, not a one of them even halfway put together. “Let me see,” Emma insists, taking the page from her father. “Alright, it says take screws E with washers D.” She picks up said items from the pile. “Through bar C using wrench F, which is….Not provided.”

“Why don’t you just call Marco,” Snow asks, leaning her head back. “He’s  _really_ good at this sort of thing.”

“No,” Emma and David exclaim together.

“We’re fine,” David adds.

“I’d hate to see you doing this when you aren’t fine,” Pan quips with a smile. David sends him a look that means  _shut up or get down here and help_.

“Should we even be doing this,” Snow asks,” ever since the showdown between the Wicked Witch and Regina, we haven’t seen Regina or Gold at all. Shouldn’t we be focusing on her next move?” The stress is getting to her and that’s not good for the little life growing in her belly.

“We are,” Emma assures her,” we just can’t stop living.”

“And this crib is a statement,” David agrees,” We’re not gonna loose another baby.”

“And, thanks to me, you won’t,” Regina says, walking into the loft and catching the tail end of the conversation. “I’m finished.” She places a handful of vials down on the worn tabletop.

“So, did it work?” David stands and walks over to her. “Were you able to put up a new protection spell?” Regina looks smug as she tugs her gloves off.

“One that can’t be undone by blood magic, which means Zalena won’t be able to put her hands on that baby.” Snow lets out a relieved breath, crossing her arms over her growing stomach.

“Any idea why she would want to,” she asks.

“The number of spells involving baby parts would surprise you.” I nod along in agreement, resting my head against Pan’s chest and smiling when he bends his head down to place a chaste kiss on my forehead. “That Greenie is clearly one twisted witch. But as long as we’re in here, we’re safe.” I think back to all the contracts Papa made with people in order to get their firstborns, he used the babies in all sorts of spells that would make even Ramsay Bolton get sick.

“That’s useless,” Emma speaks up, still sitting crisscross applesauce on the floor. “I think we need to stop playing defense and start taking the fight to her.”

“Says the girl he can’t even make an apple levitate,” I retort, shifting in order to see her. “Regina is the most powerful person in this room and she barely escaped with her life, what do you think you can’t do with the magic you never wanted to learn?”

“The three of us could team up….Teach me how to gain control and use it on more than apples.”

“Now, why does this feel so familiar,” Regina inquires sarcastically. It must have been something that happened back in Neverland—Regina’s the one that taught Emma how to start a fire with her magic.

“I’m ready this time.”

Regina laughs with a sarcastic  _okay_ thrown in, looking between Emma and I. “If we do this, we do it  _my_ way. This isn’t drinking stale coffee at a stakeout or….” She stands, pushing in the chair she was sitting on. “Whatever you did as a bail bondsperson. This….” She rests her hand on her small box of potions. “….Is a way of life. You have to fully commit to it.”

“Not a problem.”

“Meet me at my vault in one hour.” Regina gathers her things, sending a meaningful look at Emma before making her exit. Emma gets to her feet, giving her parents a look similar to the one she just received.

“And no complaining. I’m doing this, it’s the only way.” Snow raises her hands, showing that she wasn’t going to try and argue. “And yes, I will be careful.”

“We know,” Snow says.

“Don’t worry, we’ll watch Henry when he gets back from the store,” David adds.

“Actually,” Emma says, stretching the word out nervously,” I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”

“And that’s my cue to leave, see you in an hour,” I interrupt as Snow gains a hurt expression. “Come on, babe, let’s go find something to do while they have their mandatory heart to heart.” I pull Pan to his feet and lead the way out, deciding halfway to the door of Snow’s building to go to my house. It is uncomfortable seeing Henry, all I want to do is hold him and never let go, but if I hold him like that, then it’ll raise questions. It just hurts too much to see the unknowing light in his eyes, knowing he doesn’t remember me or the fact that he’s my nephew.


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did any of y’all watch the part one premier for Sons of Liberty last night? I thought it was really good, especially Ben Barnes—he’s one of my favorite actors—and whoever it was that played John Hancock. Sorry if this chapter has a lot of mistakes in it, but my asthma pill makes me shaky sometimes and the keys on my laptop are still stupid.

“So, what did you and Pan do for your hour or do I want to know,” Regina asks as we walk towards her vault. I shrug with a fond grin, guessing what she was thinking.

“Nothing dirty,” I answer,” we watched Scooby Doo on Zombie Island.” She smiles a little, shouldering the door open and letting me go through first. Pan decided he’d stay at home and browse my movie collection, tending to stick more to the happy children’s films like Casper and Rugrats. He’s had enough darkness in his long life that he doesn’t want to watch anymore of that than he has to, so anything Stephen King is out of the question.

“Don’t touch anything, you two. I don’t want a repeat performance of what Morgan went through—she was in a coma for three weeks and then we had to partially bottle up her bad side, which isn’t easy to do when she kept trying to suck the magic out of me.” I blush, walking down the stairs and into the room where Regina stores all her magical mumbo jumbo.

“How am I supposed to learn magic if I can’t touch anything,” Emma questions.

“The same way I did with Rumple—we’re going to create a solid foundation first and then build your skills up from the ground.”

“Papa always had me touching stuff to see which types of magic I responded best with, so I guess that’s off the table.” Regina gives me a look and I quickly shove my hands in the pockets of my jeans, quenching the urge to touch stuff just to see what happens. She gives Emma the same hard look when she finds the blonde holding the foot of some creature.

“I _said_ don’t touch.” She takes the foot and sits it back in its proper place, Emma and I sharing looks that said _who put a stick up her ass_. “So, while we’re here, who’s looking after Henry?” She moves to open a trunk while she speaks and I sit down on the ground, taking care to sit on my hands in case that _touch the stuff because you’re not supposed to_ urge hits me again. “The un-charmings?” Hey, that’s good, I might have to use that later.

“Actually, Hook is,” Emma replies. Regina turns to look over her shoulder, sadness in her eyes at the mention of her son.  

“Well, those two having been spending a lot of time together lately.”

“Hook’s good with Henry, I think he’s trying to see what it would’ve been like when Morgan was his age, and Henry likes him, so that makes it easier.”

“He’s prone to violence, impulsive, and has a hook for a hand. What about him would a twelve year old boy _not_ like?” She’s digging through her trunk again, Emma moving to stand behind her.

“I trust him. He brought me back to Storybrooke, and he didn’t have to.”

“He also kind of tried to murder my papa in front of me, kidnapped me, kept me tied to a bed for two days, and nearly killed my boyfriend for having sex with me,” I list, counting the offences off on my fingers,” but at the same time, he told me the truth, helped me escape the hospital that first time, saved me from Cora partially, and brought me pudding that last time I was in the hospital.”

“That’s not much of a list to go off of,” Regina states,” and bringing you pudding doesn’t make up for the fact that he tried to murder Rumple in front of his own child and Henry.”

“No, but it does mean he paid attention to me during one of my sleepy rambles. Plus, he watched five hours non-stop of the Lord of the Rings trilogy special extended editions—if that’s not love for a child, then I don’t know what is.”

“God, you’re such a geek sometimes, but I’d rather you stay at home watching Netflix than what you used to do when you were sneaking around with that ass Pan killed.” She exhales sharply, her temper spiking when she thinks about Vincent and all the things he’d gotten me started on. She straightens after a little longer, holding a book in her hands. “Let’s start with roots for incantations.” The book is normal sized and bound in dark leather, the edges incased in gold to keep them from bending and a small pink stone shaped like a heart is embedded in the front. Regina hands the book to Emma, opening it to the right page.

“Are you kidding me,” Emma asks with that same dumbstruck expression I have when I look at equations in algebra. “What language is this—Spanish?”

“We’re not making tapas, we’re making magic. It’s Elvish, well, _half_ Elvish.”

“I’m never gonna get this.”

“Don’t worry,” I assure her from my spot on the ground,” Elvish is a lot easier to learn than Dwarfish or Romanian.”

“You know how to speak Romanian?”

“Only a couple of useful phrases like ‘Where’s the bathroom’, ‘What’s in this’, and ‘Aren’t you a little young to be a police officer.’ Papa wanted me to become comfortable with different languages, and the more you learn, the easier it is to get in the swing of things. So far I can speak Elvish, Dwarfish, Latin, Spanish, French, and I’m learning the Romanian.”

“Why would you want to learn all those languages?”

“Hey, twenty-eight years is a long time to wait for the Savior to break the curse. I had to do something in my spare time and that’s what Papa and I decided on.”

“Back on the subject, what other methods did Rumple use to teach you guys magic?”

“There weren’t any textbooks if that’s what you want, more like if you do something right he’ll heal you up afterwards.” Regina nods along with me, knowing how hard his methods were sometimes.

“Rumple was a bully,” she explains further,” he didn’t suffer fools and he certainly didn’t coddle his students. And if he tried to teach you how to swim, and you couldn’t learn, you drowned.” She takes the book back and tosses it in the trunk, shutting the lid of it.

“Yeah, there were several nights I couldn’t sleep because I hurt so badly, Trista usually convinced Rumple to heal the worst sores, but she had to add to the time she spent working for us.” I miss Trista, she never came back with us from the Enchanted Forest, and if she did, then she must be one of those monkeys guarding the town line.

“That’s it!” The smile on Regina’s face isn’t a pleasant one, more like the ones Papa had whenever he made a deal with someone. She raises her hands, her magic transporting us to somewhere deeps in the woods, Emma on a shaky rope bridge over the chasm between cliffs, and Regina and I on solid earth.

“What the hell are you doing,” Emma shouts, hanging on tightly to the rope sides.

“Teaching you to swim.”

“Are you out of your mind?!”

“Depends on who you ask,” I retort, standing up and brushing dirt off my pants.

“Every time you’ve used your power, it’s been spurred by your instincts,” Regina clarifies. “So today, we’re going to push those instincts until you master them.” Emma must feel like Donkey did when he and Shrek were crossing the bridge to get to the dragon guarded castle.

“A little reading doesn’t sound so bad now,” Emma says, tightening her hold.

“You can stop me.”

“Stop you from what?”

“This.” A simple flick of her fingers has the planks that make up the path of the bridge tearing away and falling into the stream far below, the bridge shaking even more from the rapid movement and the wind.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Quickly, only a few boards are left and even they are beginning to tremble with magic.

“Making the bridge collapse. You can either stop it….Or die.” Emma’s left with standing on the bottom ropes and holding onto the top ropes in order to keep from falling, her face twisted into a terrified expression that almost made me feel sorry for her. The bottom part of the bridge gives way under Emma, leaving her dangling from the top two ropes.

“Enough, stop this!”

“You wanted to learn magic the way we did,” I yell at her to be heard over the wind,” this is how it happened, now stop it yourself!”

“Reach inside you, that’s where the magic lies,” Regina says in a mock pep talk,” I know you can do this, call on that magic and save yourself.” Suddenly the rope snaps and Emma begins a freefall, her screams echoing off the stone walls of the cliffs. The sound of something colliding makes me grab onto Regina’s arm, afraid of what I would see if I looked down until whatever made that sound floats back up to the top of the cliff—Emma standing atop a jumbled pile of wood. I release the breath I was holding, dropping back down to the ground and running my hands through my hair.

“D-did I just do that,” Emma asks breathlessly.

“Yes. When all I wanted was for you to retie the rope.” Emma steps back on solid ground, looking at the mess she had created.

“It’s like you said—instinct. Why are you pissed? I did it. Why does it matter how?” I look up at the two women between my fingers, noting Regina’s furious expression. That’s how she looked when she found out I took Henry to see a scary movie and didn’t ask her permission—right before she punished me by making me stay with him all night.

“You think I’m mad because you didn’t listen to me?” Isn’t that usually what makes adults mad? “I’m mad because….Look at all this potential inside of you, and you’ve been wasting it.” I pull my phone out to check the time, my eyes widening a little at how late it’s gotten. “Everything alright, Morgan? You look a little panicked.”

“It’s fine, I just need to leave you guys to go get ready for my date.”

“What are you two going to do tonight?”

“We’re catching the early showing of Battle of the Five Armies and then we’re going to eat at some fancy restaurant that he got reservations at. I didn’t ask how he got them and I probably don’t want to know, but I do know that if I don’t leave right now I’m going to be late.” I transport myself to right outside the small movie theater, using magic to transform my outfit into a short sleeved red dress, healed black ankle boots, and a clutch purse—extra magic was used to curl my hair and add makeup to make it look like I actually had time to do it all and didn’t come straight here.

As Pan approaches, I give him a smile, my hand moving to clutch the little bottle necklace my father gave me what seems like years ago. It’s become a familiar habit, though it never ceases to give me a little shock when I don’t find the pocket watch there. “You look amazing,” Pan says, placing my hand in the crook of his arm.

“I hope you’re prepared to cry,” I warn him as we walk inside together,” because I know for a fact that this movie isn’t going to end on a happy note.”


	54. Chapter 54

“Think you could sneak in some glue and tongue depressors,” I ask as Whale finishes writing something in my chart. “I need something to do and those might keep me occupied since everybody’s busy.” Dad, Regina, David, Snow, and Emma are all at Regina’s house for something, Pan is out getting our dinner, and Whale is working nights this week, so my checkup got pushed back until now. “I promise I won’t glue them to people.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Whale scolds lightly.

“Okay, I promise I won’t glue them to people’s foreheads.”

“Better. It might take me a little while, I do have patients to check on, but I’ll bring you them when I can. Enjoy the free cable, you might be stuck here for a while before one of your guardians show up to get you.”

“Quick question, why didn’t you release me to my dad?”

“Because….” Whale pauses, trying to find the right words. “Because I know Regina and David will try and keep you out of trouble, Hook would shove a helmet on you and tell you to have at it.” He pats my arm before walking out of my room, shutting the door behind him so that I have some privacy. This is crap, if it wasn’t for Whale choosing a night shift, then I could be in my jammies and reclining on my couch with Pan and watching Aladdin. Instead I’m still dressed in my grey oyster skirt, a pale blue crop top that disappeared into the top of my skirt, my heeled boots, and a braid that was beginning to cause a migraine.

“My, my, aren’t you quite dressed up for a hospital visit,” a sickly familiar voice says just as the magic in the air shifts to allow someone to poof into my room. I look towards the window, finding Zalena staring at me with a smug look.

“Apparently this is what you dress in to get kicked out of the fancy French bistro downtown.” Zalena’s smile widens as she moves to sit next to me on my bed. “Are you here to kidnap me? Honestly, you baddies have to come up with a better plan because the whole kidnapping me is getting a little overused lately. Think about it, I was kidnapped by Papa, then by Cora in disguise, then by Cora not in disguise, then by my own father, then by my boyfriend, and then by you in the Enchanted Forest.”

“Impressive.”

“Not really, more of a headache than anything. What do you even hope to achieve by doing it? I mean, the only person that’ll get pissed at this point is Whale and that’s because something’s always coming up that gets me injured and I’m never able to finish my treatment the way he likes. He may not look like much, but the guy knows his way around a scalpel. You already have control over my papa, you don’t need control of my dad, so you’re just wasting your time here.” She frowns, smoothing out the wrinkles in her too-low-cut dress.

“I suppose you’re right, it wouldn’t affect the others in town.” She gives a loud sigh, standing and patting down her ginger mane. “Well, I suppose you can tell my sister I send my fond regards.”

“Tell her yourself, I’m not a Bolton.”

“What?”

“God, you people need to watch more TV.” Zalena raises a brow, disappearing in a puff of green smoke just as Pan and Whale walk in—Pan with Chinese take-out and Whale with the glue and tongue depressors. “About time y’all showed up.”

“Was someone else in here,” Pan asks, setting the food down and taking up his spot on the doctor stool that rolls around.

“Zalena was, I talked her out of kidnapping me since nobody was here to defend my honor. What little of that I have left.”

* * *

 

“Are you alright,” Pan asks, coming to stand behind me at one of the windows in my room, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his on my shoulder. I place my hands on top of his, staring down at the town and trying to choke down the sudden surge of anger that had nearly overwhelmed me.

“I’m fine,” I answer more harshly than I meant to. “Sorry, it’s just hard to keep a lid on my darker side sometimes when I’m mad. That stupid witch showed up at the hospital with the idea to whisk me away and all I wanted to do in that moment was killer her, but all I’m allowed to do is cipher her magic little by little.” I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly before repeating the process a few times until I’m no longer so tense.

“Don’t worry so much, we’ll have her soon enough and you can do whatever you like to her. I’ll freeze everyone in town if I have to in order for you to exact your revenge.” I smile, relaxing in his arms as his mouth moves up my neck to my ear before he begins to talk again. “And after you’re done with that nasty business, I’ll show you how pleasurable a little pain can be sometimes.” Pleasant shivers race down my spine and I let out a breathless laugh.

“You’re not supposed to make promises you can’t keep.”

“I’ll most certainly keep this one, though we’ll have to go to that cabin Rumple mentioned so that no one comes running when I make you scream.” I turn, still in his arms, and wind my fingers into the curly hair at the base of his neck. He stares down at me, eyes darker than they were moments ago, pupils dilated as he stares down at me with such an intensity that I begin to shake. “Do we have a deal?”

“Mm, most certainly.”

“Can’t you two keep your hands off each other for five minutes,” Regina complains, walking out into my room with a decorated cardboard box in her hands. “It’s just wrong to see you looking at a guy like that—you’re supposed to be the innocent one, remember.”

“Yeah, well, the innocent ones are the ones that are usually kinky.”

“God, just take this and thank me tomorrow.” She makes it as far as the doorway before making a gesture that had magic pulling Pan out after her and my door slamming shut. With a snort, I take the box and sit on my bed with it, debating whether to open it now or wait for tomorrow and pretend it is Christmas. “Hell, I never waited even when it was Christmas.” I remove the top and toss it to the ground, pulling out the present Regina had brought me. It’s a book, clearly new judging by its pristine condition, with a picture of a city on the cover and the top torso of a man with strange tattoos decorating his body.

“ _City of Bones_ ,” I read aloud, the title interesting me almost as much as the cover picture. Hmm, maybe it’ll hold my interest longer than that last book she gave me, though to be fair, I’m more of a  _Julius Caesar_ type than  _Romeo and Juliet_. Maybe it’s because the latter is used to often to describe romance when it’s actually a tragedy. Shrugging, I kick the box to the floor and curl up under my blankets with the book in hand, wanting to begin reading immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The City of Bones book I mentioned above is actually really great and part of the Mortal Instruments series. Casandra Clare writes it and y’all should check it out if you haven’t already! :)


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple more chapters and season three of this story will be finished. I'll update season four once I force my muse to cooperate, but I'll probably finish up my Inkheart fic before then just as something to get me in the habit of writing different characters. This one is nice and long for you guys to make up for the lack of updating. :)

I lay back on one of the couches in the inn part of Granny's, the full force of my injuries that couldn't be healed magically making itself known. This is why Whale wanted to keep me, he knew that as soon as I slowed down enough that the aches would kick in and make me wish I lived in a bubble. Pan is out looking around Storybrooke for my dad, but I doubt he'll be able to find him if the pirate doesn't want to be found. All the important people in this town are gathered in the sitting room—Emma, the Charmings, and me—but the meeting wouldn't begin until at least Regina shows up. Speaking of the devil, the brunette woman walks in with an unfamiliar air about her.

"Regina," Snow says with some surprise," If I didn't know any better, I'd say you look smitten." That's what it is, she's probably getting laid. Regina scoffs, moving over to our group dressed in a dark red dress that, while modest enough for a woman in her position, said that she liked to bend rules. At least, that's what she told me when she shoved a pop tart in my hands this morning.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Haagen-Dazs is smitten with your stomach," she returns, though the bite that was usually present was gone. Can we get started?"

"Waiting on Pan to show up with my dad," I tell her, swinging my legs in the air as they dangle over the arm of the couch, my pop tart already half-eaten.

"I don't have time to wait for the handless wonder." Hmm, weirdly accurate description—maybe that could be his superhero name. "We have to figure out how to destroy my sister."

"For once, I agree with Regina," David nods, his elbows resting on his knees. "Stopping her plan is the priority." Well, my priority is more like finding out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop, but I guess that's irrelevant.

"There's one thing about this plan that doesn't fit—Regina," Emma states, grabbing one of my feet to make me stop swinging them.

"I'm the point of it," Regina says, looking at Emma as though she represents the dumb blonde stereotype. "So she can take my life for herself."

"Yes, but why bring you back to Storybrooke? Why bring any of us?"

"Great booze," I suggest," comfortable clothing, Tom Hiddleston's ass—what does it matter? The point is that she's here and I want to make her know what it feels like to get her ass handed to her. Time travel has never been done, but maybe she needed to get in her element by traveling to a different world, you know? She needed to know how it felt and how it was done so she could tweak it to work with timelines instead."

"The troubling part is that she was able to cast the curse at all," Regina picks up," I mean, to do it you need to give up the heart of the thing you love most and from what I gather, Zelena doesn't love much."

"Zelena's smart," David contributes," strategic. Maybe we discovered something in the missing year to stop her."

"And then the only way to stop us from interfering was to bring us back here and wipe our memories," Snow says, catching onto her husband's train of thought. "So, if we get our memories back, we might already know how to defeat her."

"We just need to break this curse."

"Well thank goodness we have a savior." I look at Emma, finishing the pop tart and wiping the crumbs off my sweater.

"I'd love to, but there's one problem," she admits," last time, all it took was me believing in magic and kissing Henry. Since I've been back, I've done both and nothing."

"You're not the one who needs to believe," I say, sharing a knowing look with Regina," Squirt doesn't remember squat that's happened, and since you've both arrived here, we've been careful to shield him from any magic. He doesn't see the magic, he doesn't believe in the magic, and that's what's keeping our memories blocked. Err, partially blocked in my case."

"So we'll put on a magic show for him?"

"Don't be stupid, we find that book he wagged around with him—the book that made him believe in all of this in the first place. If he doesn't remember, then we're all screwed big time." There's a brief silence that involves everyone in our group looking at me. "So, enough with the moping and the belly rubbing, let's go find the damn book."

**Killian Jones**

Killian had rather hoped today would go better than the others had, he had a solid plan in mind that he would play scrabble with Vee and maybe try and scare Pan away from her. All of it seemed to be going down the drain quicker than he could say goodbye. He'd barely finished getting dressed and opened the bathroom door when the Dark One knocked him unconscious using magic, and now here he lies—no doubt doomed to die in this strange dark space with an incessant purring noise for company.

He had no clue where he was, just that his hands and feet are bound, and there was a gag in his mouth to keep him from crying out for help. A shame really, not to mention embarrassing, that he would die this way instead with his sword in hand. Suddenly the purring is cut off and there are faint voices not too far away just before the roof above him lifts to reveal the outside world, Rumpelstiltskin, and the woman who his daughter had dubbed as the Wicked Bitch. He honestly doesn't see how his life could be looking up from here, surely the witch is going to kill him and he would never have the chance to punch Pan in the face hard enough to get through to the demon how bad an idea it is to date Aveena.

 _Goodbye, cruel world, it was nice to be here while it lasted, though I could have done with a little more rum_. "It appears you have," Zelena says, bending down to remove the gag.

"We're in Storybrooke," Killian says, licking his lips and working his jaw to get it back to normal. "You've never heard of a telephone?" Zelena laughs at his tone, outstretching her hand to run the petals of the rose in her hand across his lips. Velvety soft and probably poisoned knowing how the villains in this town tended to try and get rid of people that have displeased them.

"Such pretty lips. They're so wasted." He knew that would be why she wanted him brought out here, to the edge of town and far away from any sort of help. "Why haven't you used those luscious lips and kissed Emma?"

"Well, a fella likes to be courted."

"This isn't a joke. I need to have her magic removed. If Snow's baby is born before your kiss, I'm going to have no other option. I'm going to have to start killing people—people that Emma loves, starting with her son. Perhaps I'll kill your daughter, too. It'll teach you a lesson in obedience—do what I ask or she dies." The mention of hurting children has Killian's blood boiling, but the mention of hurting  _his_ child has him seeing red. Zelena tosses the rose on him, giving him a long hard stare. "Take away her magic, Captain, or the next rose will be for her little brat's grave."

And then it was dark again, the purring back, but at least Killian had a new plan in mind. A plan to get at least one child to safety even if it couldn't be his own.

**Rumpelstiltskin—Enchanted Forest**

There's someone new in Rumple's castle, someone whose magical signature he can recognize despite the new soul occupying his body, someone who is not physically in the room. He doesn't look up from his spinning, to do that would cause him to become completely unfocused—he'd be driven mad without the familiar motion to comfort him. So instead of stopping, he extends his magic to find the intruder. All signs point to the basket of gold at his feet, but that shouldn't be possible—unless….

 _"Papa_?" Ah, there was a new voice joining in now, trying to pry his attention from the task at hand. " _Papa, can you hear me?_ " His little bird's voice was fluttering around his head like Hummingbird wings, frantic and worried, but he had to focus his thoughts. He has visitors coming to talk with him. The voice of his daughter is silenced when a group of people walk inside—Rumple recognizing all of them including the thief he had punished for breaking into his home shortly after Belle began working for him.

"Rumpelstiltskin," he hears Snow White say, but still he focuses his attention where it is needed to keep in control. Rumple giggles, continuing his spinning at a fast pace.

"Rumple Bumple isn't here," he replies in a singsong voice," Rumple Bumple….Gone, my dear."

"He really is back from the dead," Regina laughs, the group moving further into the room that had once been Rumple's favorite. Most of his treasures were taken during his time spent in Storybrooke, but a few were still present and gave off delicious magic.

"Dead. Dead." He looks up from his spinning, feeling the madness beginning to take hold again as he points at his old pupil. "So much better dead."

"He's lost his mind," David states with a tinge of disappointment in his voice.

"On the contrary! Now I have two—two minds!" He giggles at his own joke that no one else in the room could understand. "Mining time. Digging deeper in the grime." He begins spinning again, faster than before, and faster and faster.

"What is she doing to him," Belle asks, and Rumple can practically hear the sadness calling out, beckoning for him to do something to make his beauty happy again.

"Nothing that can't be undone," Snow assures her. "Rumpelstiltskin, we need your help. How do we stop Zelena?"

"Round and round, the circle of time, racing towards the finish line." It seemed impossible for him to speak like he used to, in normal sentences that were easy to understand—eloquent even if they were cruel.

"This is pointless," Regina remarks.

"Let me try," Belle suggests. He doesn't notice how close she's come to him until she's pulling his hand away from the wheel and forcing him to pay attention to her with a sharp," Hey! I know you're in there." He stares down at their joined hands in wonder, trying to remember a time when he had been used to another's touch. "I know you can hear me. How do we stop Zelena?"

"Light," he answers in a quiet voice, still holding the love of his life's hand gently.

"What?"

"Light. Magic. The good witch of the South—Glinda." For a moment, he was himself again and he reveled in it, absently remembering that his daughter had tried to reach out before the others barged in.

"Glinda. B-but South of….What, Oz?" His temper flared and he pulls her hand closer to his face.

"No! Banished! Here! The good witch of the South was banished north—north of the Dark Forest." He releases her hand, a delighted grin back on his face as the madness begins pulling at him again.

"How do we find her," Snow asks. When he doesn't answer quickly enough for her liking, Snow's voice rises and grows impatient. "Rumpelstiltskin, in the Dark Forest, how do we find her?!" He wanted to answer, but having two people in his head made everything difficult, so he went back to his spinning.

"Through the door," he sings happily," step inside; if pure of heart, then she won't hide." He giggles again, turning his gaze down to the faint reflection in the golden thread, a picture there of a meadow and two girls fighting viciously against one another. His little bird is a fighter, but her evil side may just be stronger than she realized.

**Morgan—Storybrooke**

"Gold's was a dead end," David announces, hanging up his cell phone," that was Belle. No book in the shop." I'm lying on the floor now, munching on a fudgesicle, as the others try and come up with a new place the book could be hiding.

"Regina," Snow says, rubbing her belly," you said the last place you saw it was in Henry's room."

"Yes," she confirms," but it's not there. Swept away by the last curse."

"Who found it the first time," I ask, wiping some chocolate off my face with a tissue.

"I did," Snow says," during the first curse it showed up in my closet when I needed it—or more accurately, when Henry needed it. I found it when Henry needed to believe in happy endings, that book was full of them."

"So let's go dig through your closet, I've always wanted to know what teachers hide in their houses. I'd say we could take my car, but I loaned it to Pan to track down my dad." I follow the others outside Granny's, tugging my beanie on my head and rearranging my scarf so I don't feel like I'm being force chocked by Darth Vader. I don't notice Henry following us until he speaks, making me tense and turn to face him slowly. He's grown so much in the last year and it hurts that I wasn't there to see it. I don't wait for the others, walking away quickly so that I'm not tempted to grab Henry and beg him to remember how I was there with him through the tough times in his life.

He can't remember me, so I have to act like I don't know him and it's killing me right now. Regina catches up soon after with the others coming after her, Regina wrapping an arm around my shoulders as we walk to Snow's loft. "I know it's hard," she tells me gently," believe me, I know how hard this is, but we have to keep it together for Henry's sake."

"I know, I just….I miss my nephew."

* * *

"You're not pregnant, are you," Regina asks as I begin eating on a bowl of chocolate chips that I found in Snow's fridge. "You've been eating a lot of sweets lately and normally you hate that kind of stuff."

"Yeah, well, if I'm pregnant, then Mother Nature didn't get the memo," I respond, sitting cross-legged on the floor with a pile of shoe boxes to dig through. "Why do you think Pan's been cranky lately?" She winces, shaking her head as I bend over the newest box and lift up a pair of flats. No book, next box. The next box is the same, nothing but old pictures and scrapbook supplies, but no book of fairytales. I shove it towards the ‘not it’ pile and move on to the next one, the pile slowly dwindling down and the ‘not it’ pile quickly growing.

“Why do women keep their shoe boxes,” David asks, pulling a smaller box out of the larger box it had been resting in.

“Because after true love, there is no more powerful magic than footwear,” Snow explains, popping her head out of her closet before disappearing back into it. “It has to be protected.” She’s not entirely wrong, but I’d rather read a good book and walk around barefoot than the other way around.

“Any sign of the book,” Emma asks from her spot in the closet.

“No,” David sighs,” I don’t think it’s here.”

“You don’t know that,” Snow calls out, always the optimist in our group.

“Maybe it’s in this thing,” Emma suggests, lugging a heavy wooden box over to the bed. My text alert goes off, letting me take a short break to find out who wanted to talk.  _Can’t find him. Where are you?_ I roll my eyes at Pan’s text, wondering where a pirate could disappear to in a town like this one.

_ Snow’s loft, you come here and I’ll take over looking _ . I hit send and stuff my phone into my pocket without waiting for a response. “Guys, I’m gonna go look for my dad, Pan’s not having any luck and I don’t like not knowing where he is when the possibility of turning into a flying monkey is pretty high.” The others nod and give me good lucks as I head out, heading in the direction of the docks. Maybe Dad’s just hiding out in a boat and that’s why Pan missed him. It was as good a place to start as any, I suppose.

It’s snowing pretty hard by the time I make it to the docks, the wood slick and hard to navigate when wearing converse. I move through the area, able to spot three figures in the distance, one of them resembling my dad. As I get closer to them, I can make out Dad, Smee, and Henry standing by the boathouse. “Dad,” I call out, hands in my pockets to keep them relatively warm. “What’s going on?”

“Perfect,” he states,” you can go with young Henry back to New York, make sure he gets there safely and that Mister Smee doesn’t botch the job like he’s wont to do.” I open my mouth, ready to question Dad’s sanity, when Smee pipes up, looking at something over my shoulder. “Mister Smee, we need to get the kids into the boathouse.”

“Why,” Henry asks,” What’s going on?” I turn to see what they were staring at, finding a flying monkey making its way towards us. “Killian, what is that?” Old instincts rising to the surface, I grab a handful of my nephew’s jacket and pull him after me into the boathouse with the men following behind us, my free hand outstretched until I feel Excalibur’s familiar weight.

“What now, Captain,” Smee asks, shutting the door to keep the monkey at bay for a moment or two as we come up with a plan.

“Take the children there,” Dad says, pointing with his pistol,” far exit. Find a new boat, I’ll stay here to deal with our winged friends. Henry, Aveena, go with Smee! Don’t stop, no matter what you hear.” Henry and Smee begin the sprint to the exit, but I stay with my father, not ready to leave him when I’m capable of fighting. “What are you doing? I said go!”

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to argue with a woman,” I ask, stubbornly raising my sword as a swarm of monkeys fly inside through the opened front. The monkeys dived into three groups—some going for me, some going for my dad, and the rest going after my nephew and Smee. I swing my sword in a wide arc, easily slicing through one of the monkeys—the simian turning into ashes at the first contact with Excalibur. One manages to wrap its claws around my wrist, tightening until I’m forced to let Excalibur drop, and then throws me across the room, my back colliding with a boat and my shoulder throbbing when I hit the ground.

“No!” The sound of gun fire make me raise my head, feeling relief when I realize Snow and Company have shown up to save the day and my ass. The monkey that threw me swoops down again, the claws of its back legs digging into my back and raising me again, about to throw me towards the water when David’s sword goes through it, forcing the monkey to drop me right before it died. I hit the boat again with a sharp intake of breath, sliding back to the ground with the air knocked out of me. Pan helps me sit up, but doesn’t let me stand just yet, raising the back of my sweater to see the damage done by the monkey’s claws.

“What were those things,” Henry demands to know, standing with his mom while Dad moves closer to me to observe Pan’s work as he heals the deep scratches and possibly cracked ribs. Breathing is easier now, giving me some relief from the pain. “Why do those two have swords?”

“It’s all gonna make sense in a minute,” Emma promises.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m sorry I was keeping things from you. You were right, you deserve to know the truth.” She holds the book out for him, and I watch on from my spot on the ground.

“About fairytales? I don’t understand.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes, of course I do.”

“Then I need you to believe.”

“Believe in what?”

“Believe in magic.”

“From a book?” Why is it now, of all times, Henry suddenly feels the need to question stuff? I mean, really, he never thought to question Felix before he gave up his heart, never thought to question why Regina was able to vaporize a monkey with a fire ball, but by God, he suddenly wants to know why his mom wants him to believe in magic and a book.

“It’s more than just a book. Do you believe in me?”

“Yes.”

“Then take it.” I know the moment Henry begins to remember things, his hands barely clasping the book when his eyes go wide and he stares up at something no one else can see. The memories flash through his mind, the emotions sudden and lasting until he’s able to recall everything that’s ever happened to him.

“Mom?” He stares at Emma for a second, his expression having shift just enough that I know he’s back to being the Henry I left last year. “Mom!” Regina rushes forward to hug her son, holding him tightly with tears forming in her eyes. “I remember!” I get up as quickly as I can, limping over and hugging my nephew like I’ve been wanting to do since he walked back into my life. “Mo-Mo!” I kiss the top of his head, fighting back the tears so that my eye makeup doesn’t get messed up.

“Do it, Emma,” Regina says, gently prying me off Henry, holding me in a hug as she stares at the other woman. “Break the curse.” Emma’s lips were just inches away from Henry’s forehead when he’s briefly outlined in green and disappears.

“So sorry to interrupt,” Zelena says from behind us, all of us turning to find her with an arm around Henry’s neck. One wrong move on our part and she could easily snap his neck and kill him. “Now, who wants to say goodbye first?”

“Who are you,” Henry asks fearfully, pulling at Zelena’s arm.

“You can call me Auntie Zelena.”

“Enough of this,” Regina states, walking forward and raising her hands only to be pushed backwards by Zelena’s magic with a enough force that she’s either knocked unconscious or dead.

“Get your filthy hands off my nephew,” I snarl, feeling my evil side rising to the surface, a voice similar to my own begging me to kill the bitch.

“You wait your turn,” Zelena replies,” If your father hadn’t failed me, you and your nephew could be safe.” I look to my father, the guilty expression on his face telling everyone that the witch wasn’t lying. “He knew what the price of that failure was—your nephew’s life.” She has both hands around Henry’s throat now, squeezing tightly and making him gasp for air. I take a step forward, but her magic wraps around my throat and begins to tighten. The fact that she’s capable of doing this without removing her hands from Henry’s throat speaks about how powerful she really is.

I open my mouth, desperately trying to suck in air as my feet kick out and my hands move to the invisible throat constricting my breathing. I can feel the small bones in my neck threatening to give under the pressure, black spots beginning to appear as I grow lightheaded. Just as I thought I was about to die, Zelena shrieks in pain and I drop back to the ground, Pan kneeling beside me and helping to support me as I rub my throat—taking gasping breaths desperately like a man dying of thirst. “Deep breaths,” Pan coaches, holding me protectively,” you’ll hyperventilate if you keep breathing so shallowly.”

“Enjoy this moment together, because you don’t have many left!” And then she disappeared in a puff of green smoke and my cell phone begins to ring. Dad gives me a weird look when he hears the Harry Potter theme until I manage to dig my phone out and hit answer and then speaker.

“Where the hell are you,” Whale demands on the other end of the line,” you never showed up for your eight O’clock appointment like you said you would! If I have to hunt you down and drag you back here, I’ll do it, don’t think I won’t!”

“Uh…She’ll be there soon,” Pan says haltingly,” I’ll make sure of it.”

“I don’t want to talk to you, Pan, I want to talk to my patient. It’s probably your fault she late anyway!” He hangs up after that, leaving Pan to stare down at my cell indignantly.

“That was a bit uncalled for.” I don’t bother to respond, knowing Whale would blame Pan if anything at all went wrong—from a bird shitting on his car to a natural disaster wiping out the town. Once that guy hated someone, he hated them for life; he’s committed to it. Regina gives a groan as she comes to, slowly standing up with her son’s help. As she hugs her son, I lean my head back to rest against Pan’s chest. “You know I would never willingly hurt you, right? I mean, not now that I don’t have an Alp in my head, of course.”

“I know,” I nod, taking one of his hands in both of mine, beginning to draw invisible patterns on his palm with one of my fingers. “Don’t let Whale get to you, I know you wouldn’t hurt me if you had another choice. I look up in time to see Regina’s lips touch Henry’s forehead, jerking slightly as memories begin to overwhelm me. The depression, the urge to end it all, and the unbearable sorrow of losing Papa hitting me like a ton of bricks—I go rigid in Pan’s arms, holding my breath until they passed.

I look up at my boyfriend in shock, the sadness threatening to take over again until I force myself to remember that papa is alive and I’m going to save him. “Mary-Margaret, David,” Emma asks breathlessly,” did it work? Do you remember the missing year?”

“Yes,” Snow answers,” everything.”

“How did Zelena cast the curse?”

“She didn’t, Emma. We did.”

“You cursed yourselves?”

“Zelena’s weakness is light magic. I mean, it’s clear now, more than ever, you are the only one who can defeat her.”

“That’s why we paid the price of Regina’s curse,” David adds,” to find you.” Well, maybe you should have warned the rest of us so we could skip out on it.

“The price of the curse,” Emma says, her tone more questioning than anything as she stares at her parents,” is the heart of the thing you love most. If one of you cast it….How are you both still here?”

“Help me up,” I tell Pan,” I have a doctor’s appointment to get to.” Pan nods, standing before bending and scooping me up in his arms. “What are you playing at? A knight in shining tin foil?”

“You’re only making jabs at me because you’re going through—“

“La, la, la, la, la—I can’t hear you, I will not speak of those things with my own boyfriend just yet. I’m not doing it. Pizza, pizza is a safe topic, let’s talk about pizza.” He chuckles as we walk towards town, the snow sticking and piling up underfoot.

** Rumpelstiltskin—Enchanted Forest **

Rumple giggles, breathing in the smells of the ingredients Zelena is stirring together. “Wolf’s blood,” he recites knowingly,” dragon’s scale. I’ve tasted this brew before.” Forgetful, forgetful, why would one want to forget or remember. He giggles a little again at his own thoughts, clutching the bars of his cage as he watches the green-skinned woman.

“We’re about to take an unplanned trip, my pet,” she informs him, holding up two dark vials,” the curse is coming.” He already knew that, felt the familiar static-y feel of the curse as it comes ever nearer.

“You failed, you failed, you failed, you failed, you failed, you failed, you fail—“

“Don’t be so dour. What I need to do can be done from any land.” She opens the door to his cage, looking at him with those piercing blue eyes. Had he been in his right mind, they may have intimidated him, but as it is, he has two minds and neither of them are right at the moment. “I will succeed in changing the past. My spell will work.”

“But only if you remember it.” He leans towards her, the smile on his face not entirely his.

“Which I will….With this….” She holds one of the vials up for him to see. “To keep my valuable recollections safe and sound.” She drinks it down, handing Rumple the one with a stoppered top. “Here. Drink it, dump it out, sing it a song. Your brains are still mine. If you want to remember the loss of your son, so be it, but if you’d prefer to stumble about blind and stupid with the rest of them, be my guest.”  _Be our guest, be our guest, put our service to the test_!

He shakes the lyrics out of his head as Zelena presses the bottle into his hand, kissing his knuckle. He watches as she walks away, eyes trailing after her when she picks his dagger up and leaves him alone in the room. “Memories are pain,” he says to no one and everyone. “Pain is strength.” He pulls the cork out and stares down at the bottle. “For vengeance.” The bottle was almost to his lips when a stabbing pain began in his head, stumbling back against the wall as his son fought for control. Not seconds later, they are two separate beings, Rumple lying in an unconscious heap on the floor and Neal stumbling over to the table to scrawl out a note.

“We don’t need to remember,” he says in a pained tone,” Emma does.” He grabs a quill, ripping a piece of his shirt off and writing out the right message on it before going to an opened window, whistling until a bird lands there. He ties the message around the small vial and then around the bird’s leg. “Find Killian Jones on the  _Jolly Roger_. Find Captain Hook.” He lets it go, watching for a second to make sure it flew away and didn’t ty to come back to him. Exhausted, he falls backwards on top of his father, their bodies melding together until Rumple is the one on the outside.

They were one once again and the curse was rumbling towards them. 


	56. Chapter 56

“You know, if you had come here when you were supposed to, you wouldn’t have been attacked by flying monkeys,” Whale says smugly, probing at my side with gloved hands to make sure Pan hadn’t missed anything.

“You know, the fact that we’re discussing me getting attacked by flying monkeys would make most people question our sanity,” I point out, staring up at the ceiling with my arms under my head. “You’re not gonna force me to stay here again, are you?” One look from him has me groaning. “God, I hate this place—it smells weird and your food sucks worse than the Tai place on forty-second street.” Whale just smiles, peeling the gloves off his hands and adjusting my bed so that it’s in the sitting position.

“Why don’t you make yourself comfortable, Morgan? I’m sure there’s something on TV you teenagers like to watch.”

“Only if reruns of Family Guy count—they don’t, by the way, I hate Family Guy.”

“Yeah, I’m more into Lilo and Stitch myself.”

“Whatever you do, don’t go stealing everybody’s left shoe.”

“I make no promises,” he laughs, walking out of my room and back to the nurse’s station to drop off my chart. Pan takes the controller from me, turning the little TV on and flipping through channels until he finds a Harry Potter marathon on ABC Family. It was just getting to the scene where Barty Crouch Junior shows up to put the Dark Mark in the sky when a high-pitched wail is heard followed by Whale’s shout,” Stay in your room, Morgan, or I’ll have a temp nurse sit on you!” Obviously Pan thought to get in the doctor’s good graces, because he quickly straddled my stomach, his back facing me so that he could see the TV.

“Seriously, what the fuck?!”

“Just go with it, darling,” he responds, making a point not to face me. “Besides, it’s not often we’re able to stay out of the drama and this is a great way to do it.” Blowing a raspberry, I relax back on my bed and continue watching the show, trying to ignore the pained shrieks. Whale pops his head inside with a strained look a few hours later, looking like he was about to say something he didn’t want to.

“I’m going to regret this later,” he says,” but….” His brow furrows as he looks at Pan and me. “You’re sitting on her.”

“Just following orders.” Looking conflicted, Whale stands there for a moment in silence as he scratched the back of his head.

“Well then, I order you to get off of Morgan and go stand out in the hallway—if Zelena breaks in, then you can be her target practice while Morgan helps protect the baby.” Pan gives a shrug, getting up and placing a kiss on my lips before sprinting out of my room and down the hall. “Morgan, I want you outside Mary-Margaret’s door during the delivery, you’re the only one available and I want to keep you close.” I swallow hard, knowing that, if Zelena showed up, my papa would be right behind her. “Come on, it’s almost time and I need to check on the Charmings.”

I get up slowly, slipping my feet back into my shoes before following him the opposite way Pan went in to one of the last rooms. “I-I’ll stay out here, you go do your thing, Doc.” He squeezes my shoulder before entering the room, his nice suit replaced by scrubs. Flickering lights signal Zelena’s arrival, but the pained shrieks coming from Snow’s room only intensify. A new cry mixes with Snow’s as Zelena and Papa round the corner, the witch brandishing my papa’s dagger with a cruel smirk. “Why do you need that dagger, Zelena? It’s because, if Papa were free, you know he’d have killed you the second you showed your ugly mug.”

“Now, now, Morgan,” she chides,” step aside and maybe I won’t hurt you too badly.”

“I’ll hurt you much worse.”

“Your daughter’s brave, Rumple, I’ll give her that, but we need her alive. There’s a reason she was chosen by Excalibur.” Papa moves to walk in front of Zelena, sending me a tearful look. “That evil inside her will even out the purity of Snow White’s baby and will help to fuel the time portal. Knock her unconscious, Rumple, don’t kill her.”

“I’m sorry,” Papa apologizes as he raises a hand, resting it against my forehead. I grab his wrist, beginning to drain his magic, but it wasn’t enough to keep his magic from working on me and driving me to the ground in sleep.

The next time I open my eyes, I’m having my magic drained from me, coming out as faint purple vapor that mixes in the center with other colors. It was making me weaker than I’ve ever felt and I can’t see anything since I’m lying down inside a circle dug deep into the ground. “It’s not over yet,” I hear David shout, feeling relieved that this shouldn’t go on for much longer.

“And who’s gonna stop me,” Zelena challenges. “Certainly not the savior.” Shaky, I slowly push myself up into a sitting position, clutching my head as dizziness almost forces me back to the dirt. If I could just get out of this damn circle, I might be able to stop the spell. My eyes catch Papa’s, the older man nodding subtly towards the outside. I nod that I understand, beginning to crawl even as the magic tries to drag me back. It was like a vice grip on something deep inside of me, pulling and tugging ruthlessly as it tried to hold me in place.

I ignore it, throwing myself away from it with a shout of pain. Zelena’s attention is directed at her attackers, not even noticing that I had made it out of her circle until I’m charging back in and jumping on her back, making her stumble. “Little brat,” she yells, using magic to throw me to the ground in front of her. “I’ll get you.”

“Will you get my little dog, too,” I ask with a wince,” because, really, if you’re going to do something, then you should go all the way. Bit of a warning, Pup may not have much of a bite, but Fidget does.” I smile defiantly, inwardly cursing period cramps and the way they make me want to curl up in a ball when I should be worried about a witch blowing my head off my shoulders. “Come on, Witchy, do the best you can, but I want it to be you and not the ability you’re stealing from my papa.”

“Quiet down now, Morgan. This is no fight for children.” She rests her booted foot on my chest, easily pinning me down after the weakening her spell had caused in me. “Only light magic can harm me,” she informs Regina, raising her hand and forcing Regina a few feet in the air, choking her with a childish glee. “And you’re as dark as they come. It was your destiny to be this way, and it will also be your undoing.”

“Don’t tell me what I can be,” Regina growls back, struggling only a little to preserve some oxygen.

“I tried to be good once, but it wasn’t in the cards. This is who I am, and it’s who you are!” I turn my head, catching sight of Robin pocketing Regina’s blackened heart and Papa just letting him do it with a small smile tugging on his lips. Papa meets my gaze again, his smile stretching the longer he stares at me. I smile back, stretching one hand out towards him and laughing a little when he does the same.

“You’re wrong, sis.” Regina opens her hands, pure white magic collecting there and shining like diamonds.

“What are you doing?!”

“Changing.” Regina looks proud of herself, realizing that she’s not just a villain, she’s also that little girl that just wanted to escape all those years ago before death tainted her purity. The magic hits Zelena hard, sending her flying across the room and the dagger falling to the ground. I roll onto my stomach, quickly picking up Papa’s dagger before anyone else could and stuffing it in my back pocket as Regina rips the pendent from around Zelena’s throat. Her magic, green in color, quickly leaves her body and enters the pendent in Regina’s hand, the emerald glowing brightly for a moment before returning to its natural dull color. The mixing colors of the portal dissipate and David wastes no time in retrieving his baby from the basket Zelena had it lying in.

I jump up when a flying monkey screeches and begins to descend from the rafters of the barn, Papa moving quickly to stand in front of me with one arm stretched out to keep me behind him. I hide my face against his shoulder, clutching the back of his suit jacket until the shrieking has stopped. When I look up again, the big guy named Little John is kneeling on the ground with the edge of David’s sword pressed against his neck. Certain that there were no more threats, Papa turns and pulls me into his arms, nearly sobbing as he holds me.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers in my hair,” I never wanted this to happen, I wanted you to be kept safe, but it seems that the harder I try to do that, the more stuff seems to happen that puts you in danger.”

“I’m okay, Papa, I’ve got you back and Whale can’t get pissed with me this time since it was his idea to guard the delivery room,” I tell him, breathing in his familiar scent of magic and aftershave. I wince again, pulling back enough so that I can clutch my middle where cramps were having a field day. “God, I think I’m gonna puke.”

“What’s….Oh, shark week.” I snort at the name he gave it, letting him lower me to the ground so I could rest for a moment and regain a little control over my twisting stomach. “I’ll procure some of that eight hundred milligram ibuprofen from Whale when we get back in town, then you can spend the rest of the week eating ice cream, watching movies, and crying on the couch.” That sounded fantastic.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Regina chuckles, looking down at her older sister.

“I beg to differ.” Papa’s voice is dark, filled with all the malice he holds against the witch. He holds up his clenched fist, his magic dragging Zelena across the room. I smile, both sides of me cheering Papa on. “I’m gonna make you pay for everything you’ve done to me.” Zelena is obviously terrified, but she looks up at Papa with her chin raised in pride.

“What are you waiting for,” she demands,” just do it!”

“With pleasure.”

“No,” Regina shouts, Papa forced to stop for some reason. I didn’t know why until I saw that she held the dagger. It must have fallen out of my pocket when Papa hugged me and now Papa is under another person’s control. “Enough. This ends now.”

“After everything this witch has done….” Papa points down at Zelena, trying hard to control his emotions. “You’re going to protect her?”

“Good magic stopped her and good magic doesn’t exact vengeance.” Seeing my hands balling into fists, Dad quickly scoops me up in his arms and sends me a warning look.

“She killed my son and she attempted to kill my daughter!”

“How many lives have we taken trying to get what we want?”

“You can’t be serious?”

“Let me put this another way, do you want your daughter to witness another death at your hands? Look at how it’s affected her, she’s struggling to keep the dark side you taught her under control because, if she doesn’t, she’ll kill us all without a second thought! For once, think of something other than revenge, think of what example you’re setting for Morgan.” That seemed to do the trick, Papa reluctantly turning his back to Zelena and walking out, forcing Dad to let me down so he can tug me after him by one of my hands.

It wasn’t painful or rough, it was a protective hold that let me know he would always be there for me now that he’s returned. I’ve got my papa back and all I have to do to make sure I keep him is destroy Zelena, and I’ll do that shortly.

**The Next Day**

I lead the way into the police office, making sure no alarms were triggered when my magic forced the doors to open. Zelena sits on a cot inside a cell, her back to us as we approach, Papa taking the lead now with Pan and I trailing after. “Regina,” she says without turning,” I didn’t expect you back so soon.”

“I don’t imagine you expected me at all, dearie,” Papa returns, making the woman turn with a look of fear plastered on her face.

“What are you three doing here?”

“Having a little fun,” I say, a twisted version of my usual smile making an appearance as her eyes flick to me. I can see the apprehension in her eyes, the fear she feels at the three of us standing in front of her new cage.

“Rumple can’t kill me, Regina took his dagger.” It was a weak attempt to prolong her life, one Papa’s all too happy to put an end to.

“She gave it to Belle,” he replies.

“And she wants me dead?”

“No, of course not.”

“Well, then you’ll have to do what she wishes. If she has the dagger, you have no choice.”

“Yes. _If_ she has the dagger.” It was safely hidden away in his safe until we decided to make this little trip, a duplicate in Belle’s purse to make her think she has control over Papa’s rage. Even if she did have it, no dagger controlled Pan or me, so I can easily kill her without moving from my spot outside her cell. “But she doesn’t.” He brings the real dagger out from behind his back, admiring it in the bad lighting of the office. Zelena jumps up from the cot, backing away until the wall stops her.

“Don’t look so scared, sweetheart,” Pan grins,” it’ll all be over soon and you’ll never have to deal with us again. No one ever need know about this little slice of mercy we’re granting you.”

“Wait,” she pleads, close to tears, as Papa’s magic transports us into the cell,” wait, I’m powerless now. Regina’s got my pendent. My magic’s gone. I can’t hurt anyone! Why?”

“Because I promised my son his death would be avenged,” Papa explains with a cold smile,” And Rumpelstiltskin never breaks a deal.”

“And because I’ve been wanting to do this from the first moment I saw you,” I add on, my hand moving to cover Papa’s so that we’re both holding the dagger. “You’ve had this coming, Zelena, and no one is going to protect a slimy worm like you.” She lets out a strangled gasp when the dagger is plunged into her stomach, doubling over in pain. Instead of dropping to the ground and bleeding out like I thought she would, Zelena turns into porcelain before shattering into dozens of pieces. Pan uses his magic to open the cell door, taking me in his arms when I step out.

“How do you feel, Morgan,” he asks, his eyes dark as he stares down at me.

“I’ve never felt so good in my life.” I wrap my arms loosely around his neck, meeting his intense stare with one of my own. “I do believe you have a promise to keep.”

“Gladly, my darling.” He picks me up so fast, my reflexes make me wrap my legs around his waist for fear of falling. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Rumple.”

“Don’t get her pregnant,” Papa yells after us,” I’ll kill you painfully if you do.”

“I won’t.”

“He won’t,” I reiterate to give my papa some peace of mind. My period ended yesterday and we’ve got loads of condoms that Regina and Dad threw at us the first time they caught us since we came back here.


	57. Chapter 57

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be slightly different than the others in that most of it will be in Rumple's point of view in the past. All of Aveena/Morgan's is from the present and Rumple's takes care of the past when Hook and Emma go back in time. This is also the last chapter of season three and for a little while, so I hope you like it even if it isn't too long.

I stretch on the bed, giving Pan a languid smile as I watch him walk around the cabin in nothing but sweats that hang low on his hips. He may not have a six pack, but he wasn't weak either—his muscles were well defined and rippled under his skin whenever he moved. Sunlight fills the cabin, making Pan's healthy tan apparent and my lack of a tan too well known for my taste. I need winter to go away so I can lounge on a towel on the beach. "What are you thinking about," Pan asks, pulling a bottle of water out of the mini fridge.

"What you'd look like in swimming trunks and a couple of Nemo arm floaties," I reply, Pan's returning grin making me laugh. "Don't forget that we have that dinner thing tonight at Granny's, the new member of Storybrooke is finally gonna get a name."

"Took them long enough to think of one." Pan flops down on the bed next to me, sitting the bottle on the floor and holding me tightly to keep me warm since the heater wasn't working. "What do you think they'll call the little prince?"

"Hopefully not something really stupid like Leopold—if they name him that, then the poor kid is gonna have a hell of a time in middle school." I sigh, relaxing against him and enjoying the peace that seems so rare now that the curses have been broken. "I think I'm gonna go audition at the community theater, they're doing a production of Sweeney Todd, and Mrs. Lovett was always one of my favorite characters."

"What song will you use?"

"I was thinking the song Call Me from that TV show Smash. Try to get into the not-so-innocent headspace of Lovett."

"Mm, remind me how that song went?" I smile, moving to straddle his hips and leaning in close to whisper-sing the lyrics with my lips barely brushing his.

" _Color me your color, baby, color me your car. Color me your color, darling, I know who you are. Come up off your color chart—I know where you're comin' from—call me on the line, call me, call me any, anytime_ …."

**Rumpelstiltskin—Past**

Rumple was in a bad mood—first Trista had to take a short leave in order to help her sister with a difficult birth, then Aveena's damn cat kept walking between his legs and he couldn't kick it or Aveena would kick  _him_ , and, to top it all off, his daughter was in a bad mood herself. The seven year old was throwing a tantrum, her tantrums now including throwing objects using her magic, and most of those objects went straight for his head. Now, as proud as he was that she had such good aim and the ability to move things while not focusing entirely, he was a bit put out that he had to hide under his own table. "That's enough," he shouts, using his own magic to put an end to things. "If you don't straighten out this instant, I'll—" What would he do? He's never really had to punish her himself, he always left that to Trista. Should he lock her in her room until she calms down? Hang her from the chandelier by the back of her dress? Spank her? No, no that last one was only to be used as a last resort and it's far from being that bad of a tantrum. "I'll….What would Trista do?" Aveena sniffles, looking up at him with her big blue eyes that made  _him_ feel like he should be apologizing.

"She'd tell me to be a good girl and not behave like an Ogre," she says in a tear-filled voice.

"And that works?" She nods, moving to sit in his lap under the table with her head resting against his chest. "How the hell am I supposed to be mad at you when you're cuddling?"

"Papa, you said a bad word." Damn, now he owed the child a new gown. A small jolt of magic courses through him, too much for the child in his lap to have caused. Someone was on his land.

"How about, instead of me giving you a new gown, I let you come with me to see who's on our property. She gasps, crawling out from under the table much faster than he'd thought possible. "I'll take that as a yes, then." He crawls out next, taking the girl's hand and letting his magic sweep them to the very border of his land. Two peasants were watching his castle, one dressed in the black garb of a pirate and the other a woman dressed as you'd expect all women of lesser means to dress in—a ratty old dress and cloak.

He was quite proud of his daughter's clothing in that moment—a simple cream colored gown with blue designs sewn into it and a black cloak to keep her warm during the winter months. "Might be best if I stay back," the pirate was saying, the familiar drawl that had his blood boiling made Aveena's eyes widen a fraction. "The Dark One and I have a rather complicated past." That's putting it lightly. "I'd wager he'd want to kill me on sight."

"Oh, I'll take that bet!" The pair spins when Rumple speaks, giving him looks that made the Imp uncomfortable. Both stared at him like they knew him and yet did not at the same time, though the pirate's eyes are almost instantly drawn to the girl clinging to the back of Rumple's shirt as she peeks around him at them. The pain is visible in the pirate's eyes and Rumple laughs, almost jumping in his excitement to taunt the pirate. "I can't tell you how long I've been looking forward to this! Oops, I suppose I just did." He raises a hand, easily cutting off the pirate's air supply.

"Swan!"

"Stop," the pirate's companion shouts, a pretty blonde that looked too clean to be a peasant or a tavern wench. He uses his other hand to knock her off her feet, deciding that nothing would stop him from hurting the pirate even if he couldn't kill him.

"I don't know who you are, dearie," he tells the woman," but why don't you run off and let me enjoy my killing in peace?"

"He's not gonna hurt you or take your daughter. You have to listen to me." She's back on her feet now and walking towards Rumple with pleading in her voice.

"And why would I listen to you?"

"Because if you don't, you'll never see your son again." That made him pause, his eyes never leaving the pirate as Aveena clings closer to him, her little gasp enough to make him break concentration and let the pirate go for now. Jones falls to the ground, sputtering and rubbing his throat.

"What do you know of my son?"

"His name is Baelfire. You're planning to enact a curse in hopes of reuniting with him."

"Who told you that? What are you—some kind of witch?"

"No, I'm not a witch." He barely manages to grab the back of Aveena's cloak when she tries to walk over to Jones, the pirate now on his feet again. Leave it to the kind nature Trista's instilled in her to make her want to help the person her papa wants dead. Or maybe she's drawn to him, sensing their connection and likeness? No, she's just a child, she wouldn't be able to sense that so early in life. "I'm the one who breaks the curse so that you can find him. I'm the product of true love."

"But that's speculation." He wasn't so sure now, the truth practically screaming out at him. "Part of my plans, but I haven't done it."

"You will, and you will succeed."

"If that's true, then that means…."

"We're from the future, mate," Jones supplies.

"But time travel hasn't been done yet,  _mate_."

"Yeah, well, someone's cracked that code," the woman says. "We need  _your_ help."

"Help?" He laughs again, the irony of Jones needing his help not lost on him, nor was the way the pirate kept glancing down at Aveena, as though longing to just grab her up and run as fast and far as he could. "You need my help? Then answer me one question. Do I find my son?" The silence stretches out, both trespassers gaining solemn expressions. "Answer me!"

"Y-yes." A sense of relief floods through him, a smile making its way to his face.

"Bae. I find Bae. How?" The woman opens her mouth, but Rumple interrupts her. "Eh! Don't tell me. If I succeed, I don't want anything in my head that might throw it off." Aveena looks up at him in worry and he quickly explains his words to the child. "No, it won't literally throw my head off, little bird."

"Good," she replies in the know-it-all innocence only children could manage," because Trista wouldn't be happy if she had to fix your head." True enough, should probably kick his head around just for the hell of it.

"About throwing things off," the woman says a little sheepishly," it might kind of already be off course." It takes Rumple a second to catch on, but when he does, he feels the urge to slap the woman—and would have if not for the fact his daughter would then slap him.

"You've changed things," he says in exasperation. "What have you done?"

"We interrupted my parent's meeting."  _Unbelievable, how did this woman break the curse let alone get dressed without assistance?  
_

* * *

He pushes the doors of his favorite room open with a flourish, Aveena skipping inside ahead of him and curling up in a window seat with the Holy Grail clutched in her hand. She loved that thing, always looking at her reflection like she expected to see something else each time. Trista once told him that she was trying to find some tiny bit of resemblance to Rumple, but only those two knew she never would—not physically anyway. "Thank you, Mister G—Rumpelstiltskin, for believing us. I know that time travel is hard to swallow."

"Not as hard as the other mystery you've presented me," Rumple returns, walking to the head of the table. "Why haven't I killed  _him_?" Jones raises his hands in a  _what can you do_ gesture that Aveena used all the time. It was disturbing how similar the two were when she had barely anything in common with her own mother.

"If it makes you feel any better," the pirate assures," it wasn't for lack of effort. Let's just say we bury the hatchet with some help from Vee." Rumple gives a dark laugh, gaining his daughter's attention.

"Yes, but why not in your skull?" It was then his newest servant decided to enter the room, Belle dressed in her usual outfit with an annoyingly chipper smile on her lips. There was no denying she was attractive, but what beauty has ever fallen in love with a beast?

"Oh," she says with some surprise as Jones' expression drops in irritation, as though he's fought this battle often recently. "Rumpelstiltskin, you're—you're back. Do you, uh—do you need anything?"

"Belle," the woman, Emma, says with some surprise.

"Sorry, do we know each other?"

"Oh. Sorry. No." Another crisis diverted, thank whoever it was listening in. "Um, Mister—Rumple—the Dark One, um, told me about you."

"Did he?" She looks pleased and smug, emotions Rumple did not like the help feeling. They should feel miserable or not feel at all.

"No," he says a mite too quickly with a shake of his head. "Go away a-and read a book or whatever it is you like to do." She liked to read adventure novels as though her life didn't have enough of that here in the castle—between Rumple himself and Aveena beginning to gain control of her powers, there was rarely a dull moment. "Come back and clean later." He makes a shooing gesture, turning his back on them briefly.

"You could ask nicely."

"I could also turn you into a toad." There wasn't enough bitter hatred in his words, he needs to work on that if he's going to pass off hatred.

"It's a miracle you two fall for each other," Emma breathes. And there it was, the other shoe has dropped and Rumple was left with warring emotions of disgust and elation. Thankfully Belle didn't hear and left the room, but Rumple did and he was stuttering to find the right words to fix this slip.

" _What_? I mean, first, you tell me I let the pirate live. Now you're telling me I fall for the help." Aveena tugs on his sleeve until he looks down at her, the smile on her face making his hard exterior melt for just a moment.

"I like Miss Belle," she whispers," Will she be my new momma?" A pained look comes on Jones's face, just a subtle twisting of his lips to know that he still grieved Milah's death like Rumple did. How to answer a child's innocent question when you didn't even know the answer yourself? Aveena's attention slips again, saving Rumple the confusion of speaking. She walks over to Jones, tugging on his leather overcoat until he kneels down in front of her. "I saw you in the market yesterday, you talked to me when I couldn't find my papa. I like you, you're nice." Hook smiles at Aveena, reaching out his one remaining hand to stroke her hair affectionately.

"You're quite nice yourself, Vee," he responds in a soft caring voice. "Always remember that there's goodness inside of you despite the darkness you're surrounded by." He kisses the top of her head before standing, staring at Rumple without fear. He still loves the child he never met, apparently happy to see her this young. "Shall we get back to the topic of Emma's parents?"

"Yes," Rumple drawls, beckoning for Aveena to join him away from the pirate," Who are they?"

"Snow White and Prince Charming," Emma answers at once.

"Prince Charming," he mocks in a high-pitched tone, sitting in the cushioned chair and pulling Aveena up to sit curled up in his lap. She was warm and soft, almost like a puppy in some ways.

"His real name is Prince James."

"King George's son, who's wedding I've just arranged?"

"See, that's what I'm trying to tell you. That marriage isn't supposed to happen because the ring he's supposed to give her gets stolen by Snow."

"It's quite a tale you're spinning."

"Here, let me show you. It's in a book." Aveena sits up slightly at the mention of a book, watching Emma with interest as a long brown book is opened up in front of her, the pages blank. "Wait, what?"

"It's all gone," Jones says in shock. "Anything that was supposed to happen after they've met has disappeared."

"The ripple effect," Rumple explains, rolling his R. "Once you change something in the past, anything from that point forward becomes uncertain. The future, as you can see…." He gestures to the book, flipping to the last page with anything on it. "Is a blank page."

"We need to get Snow to steal that ring," Emma catches on," so we can put their story back on track."

"You're in luck. There's a ball tonight at King Midas' castle. Prince James will be there….And so will his ring."

"So we just need to get Snow there." She turns to face the pirate with a smile, but Jones doesn't look comforted.

"How," he asks," we don't even know where she is." Really, he strolls into the Dark One's castle and doesn't think to ask about magic? Rumple clears his throat, getting the attention back on him.

"Allow me," he says, standing and walking to a nearby table with Aveena clinging to his back like a monkey. He waves a hand over a crystal ball, purple smoke filling it for a second before clearing away to reveal the woman in question.

"There she is," Emma smiles.

"She's with Blackbeard," Jones acknowledges. "She's trying to secure passage on his ship."

"And, it appears, failing," Rumple adds as the other pirate leaves Snow White at the table without taking her purse of money.

"She can't escape the Queen without the money she's supposed to get for the ring," Emma informs everyone. "Can you help us?"

"Help you? I can work on getting your portal to the future open again, but getting your parents together? You made that mess, dearie. Only you know what you did, now go undo it."

He walks away from the pair, making Aveena readjust until she was cradled in his arms again as the pirate began to speak," If she's looking for passage out of town, I might know a ship's captain who can help us."

"Who," Emma inquires.

"Me."

* * *

"I don't like leaving things to chance," Emma was saying as Rumple popped up behind the pair, making himself comfortable on a moss covered rock with Aveena snugly in his arms, wrapped tightly in blankets and her cloak.

"You know, I feel exactly the same way," he states in amusement, making the pair jump and turn to look at him," which is why I never do. See?" He punctuates the word with a bit of magic, an invitation appearing in his outstretched hand. "An invitation to the ball."

"So you'll be inside to watch out for her." How oblivious can this woman be?

"No, no. I'll be far too busy sorting out how to get you home." A small lie, but it'll get them motivated to clean up their mess.

"Well, who's the invitation for," Jones asks cluelessly.

"Well, isn't it obvious? The two of you." Emma and Jones share disbelieving looks.

"So, when we're done inside, you can open our portal?" No, not likely.

"There's a powerful wand, which I, uh….Came to possess. Anyway, legend says it can re-create any magic that's ever been wielded. Now, with a little work, I can use it to re-create whatever portal brought you here." He holds out the invitation again, having some trouble supporting his sleeping daughter, standing, and waiting for one of these morons to take the invitation all at once. Jones takes it a bit roughly, but it frees the hand so he can better support Aveena.

"Please do it quickly," Emma begs. "We'll be in and out before you know it. I want to get the hell out of here."

"Oh, confidence, I like it." She smiles, her and the pirate trying to walk away. "Wait!" They face him again, the pirate looking more annoyed than ever. "Not like that." With a small bit of his magic, their appearances change completely, clothing turning into the style most favored by royalty, and features shifted just enough that they won't be recognized. "The Savior can't come this far and not play Princess for a day."

"But I'm not supposed to stick out. What if someone remembers me in the future?"

"Because what you had before was such an intricate disguise. Now, speaking of which, I've returned those stolen rags. Luckily, before they were missed. I mean, it's a miracle the timeline hasn't imploded already. Amateurs. Allow me." With another bit of magic, a mirror was floating in front of them, showing their different features. "A glamour spell. This is how you shall appear to one and all. Now run along—and do everything you can to make sure Snow White gets that ring. Once they are back on track, everything else—" Aveena mumbles, shifting slightly in sleep, so Rumple lowers his voice. "Everything else will be, too."

And then he disappeared back to his castle, settling Aveena down in her large bed and leaving, closing the door gently behind him.

* * *

"We did it," Emma states as she pushes the doors open, Jones following behind her with an unconscious peasant thrown over his shoulder. Aveena looks up at them from her studies, blue eyes no longer focusing on the book of Elvish in front of her. He would never get this language to stick with her if these distractions keep up.

"Your parents are together," Rumple checks, tapping the book in front of his daughter until she focuses back on it with a sigh.

"They're right back on track. We're ready to go."

"I see. And you brought some luggage." Aveena sneaks another glance, but quickly slumps down in her seat when Rumple gives her another stern look.

"Long story. So, how's the portal coming? Can you open it?"

"I cannot." He moves back to the potions in front of him, working diligently on getting the Dragon's scale and wolf's blood just right for two small bottles. Trista looks up briefly from untangling Fidget from the drapery, her look telling him she disapproved of whatever he was doing.

"Then what are you working on?"

"Oh, this is for Aveena and me—a forgetting potion. We know too much about our future. The only way to protect it is to forget it."

"Well, what about this wand? You said that could help us."

"Oh, that. Well, apparently only those who  _used_ the portal can reopen it. So unless you can wield magic, I'm afraid you're going nowhere." He tosses the wand to them, having no further use for it. "Can ya?" At the despondent looks on their faces, Rumple grows arrogant. "Thought not."

"So you just expect us to stay here," Jones asks with a depressed tone. "What about protecting your precious future? If I'm forced to stay here, I'll take Aveena and I won't return." He pulls a sword out with his free hand, making Rumple giggle.

"It'll be hard for you to kidnap my daughter when you're someplace safe, someplace even I dare not go. Where I store the magic that is too dark or unpredictable even for me." He points at the little trio, magic whisking them out of his sight and into his vault. "No one will ever threaten to take my little bird away from me."

"Was that man," Trista starts, not finishing the sentence, but sending a pointed look in Aveena's direction. The girl was busily scribbling out the symbols onto a sheet of parchment to better remember them, oblivious to what was going on, let alone that her biological father had just been sent into Rumple's vault to die.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He goes back to his work, studiously ignoring the disapproving glare of the nursemaid. "What is it you do around here exactly?"

"Watch your daughter—there she is, sitting at the table like a good, respectable girl." Rumple makes a face at her, finishing the two potions and sliding one across the table to Aveena. "Sweetheart, drink your potion like your papa wants." Pursing her lips, she downs the potion in one go and coughs a little, before it takes hold. She looks down in confusion, shaking her head a little and going back to work at the same time some new and unfamiliar magic erupts nearby. The only reaction that Aveena notices it is her slight shiver, but Rumple felt the full force of it.

With the bottle of potion clutched in one hand, he appears in the vault in time to grab Emma's wrist in a tight hold, forcing her to stay in the vault and out of the golden portal opened before them. "You opened it?!"

"Let me go," she shouts, struggling desperately against him.

"My son. What happens when I find him?"

"I thought you wanted to forget!"

"Before I do, I need to know—does he forgive me?" That's all that mattered to Rumple, the forgiveness for letting him go in the first place.

"Yes." Her expression says that there's more to the tale than that, that nothing was as simple as it seemed.

"Yes, but what? What aren't you telling me? Tell me or you will never leave!" She's tearing up, the portal pulling her feet out from under her and towards her home, but he knows those tears aren't from pain of the physical kind.

"He dies." It was like being punched in the stomach, the bone-jarring pain hitting deep inside him and causing his heart to contract. "He forgives you, he loved you. He died to save all of us, don't let that be in vain."

"No, I-I-I can change what happened. I-I can save my boy!"

"You think you can change the future, but you might make it worse. I loved him too and I wanted to save him. He died a hero. You can't take that away from him." She's all out crying now, making Rumple want to cry or shout, release all of his emotions at once so he could just get them off his chest. His boy, his only trueborn child, died a hero and there seemed to be nothing Rumple could do to make it different. "You have to drink the potion." He stares down at the bottle, forcing the cork out of it. "You have to forget everything I just told you."

Making the choice, the difficult, heart-wrenching choice, Rumple lets go of his hold on Emma and downs the potion, the effects hitting him as the portal closes. He drops the vial, his memories being erased as he smacks his lips with a faint hint of disgust. He looks around him at his surroundings, spotting enough familiar objects to deduce that he's in his vault. He picks the Fairy wand from the ground in confusion. "What the hell am I doing in here?" With one last look, he poofs himself back to his castle, beginning Aveena's lesson on Elvish.

**Morgan—Storybrooke**

"What was with that weird thingy that shot up in the sky," I ask as I pull on my fanciest clothing—a two-toned dress with a black skirt, a top made of beige organza underlay and an ivory lace overlay, a white blazer to keep me warm, burgundy high-heeled sandals, and Captain America earrings. My hair is a simple affair, the sides joined together in a braid at the back of my head to keep the wind from blowing it in my face.

"How should I know," Pan asks with a laugh, dressing in his nicest pair of jeans and a button down light blue shirt. "I was with you the entire time. Maybe your papa or Belle knows." I shrug, running my fingers through his messy hair to get it to lie down for once. "Shall we go, we don't want to be late for the wedding."

"Fair point." I loop my arm through his, poofing us both deep into the woods where Papa was anxiously waiting. "Don't look so nervous," I warn, tugging my papa's jacket back in place. "Things will go perfectly and I'll soon have a woman to call mom for the first time in my life."

"I'm sorry you never met your real mother," he apologizes softly. I hold up a hand to make him shut up, shaking my head stubbornly.

"Uh-uh, no sad talk until after your honeymoon. I won't have it, the stuff spreads like a plague." I look over his shoulder, smiling when I spot Belle—looking gorgeous in white—and her father coming down our makeshift aisle. "Look sharp, Momma's approaching." I step off to the side as Papa turns and gets his first glance of Belle in her wedding clothes. Where Papa is elegant in black, Belle is resplendent in white—her hair pinned up and under an old fashioned white hat, her dress covered by a white overcoat, and a string of pearls around her neck. Mister French looks happier than I've ever seen him, sporting some tears in his eyes, but he never lets one fall. He steps off to the side, letting Archie take over.

"It is my great honor," Archie says, wiping tears away," to officiate this most lovely union. If you'd like to begin your vows." He nods at Belle, who was clutching her bouquet of white flowers in both hands.

"Rumpelstiltskin," she begins happily," this thing we have, it's—it's never been easy." That's putting it lightly. "I've….I've lost you so many times. I've lost you to—to darkness, to weakness, an-and finally, to death. But now I realize….I realize that I have not spent my life losing you. I've spent my life  _finding_  you."

"Belle," Papa begins with his own vows. "When we met, I wasn't just unloved and unloving. I was an enemy of love. Love had only brought me pain. My walls were up, but you broke them down." He pauses here and sends me a look. "With some of Morgan's help and a sledgehammer." I sniffle, wiping the tears away quickly and clasping Pan's hand in one of mine. "You brought me home. You brought light into my life and chased away all the darkness. And I vow to you I will never forget the distance between what I was and what I am." He slides a ring on Belle's finger. "I owe more to you than I can ever say. How you can see the man behind the monster, I will never know."

"But that monster's gone. And the man beneath him may be flawed, but we all are. And I love you for it. Sometimes the best book has the dustiest jacket. And sometimes the best teacup is chipped." And there goes the kiss, Belle and Papa holding each other tightly. When they come up for air, Belle slides a ring on Papa's finger to make it official, the smile on Papa's face enough to make me squeal with joy. "Come here, Morgan." I run the few feet that separates us, going in for a group hug with my new family. "Isn't it honorary to throw the bouquet?" She smiles, tossing it to me.

Pan sends me a wink, walking over and wrapping his arms around my waist. "Don't even think of marrying my daughter," Papa warns him," she's not allowed to walk down an aisle until she's seventy."

"By then I'll need a walker," I pout, making my papa laugh.

"By then you'll be too senile to remember you even have a boyfriend to marry." He winks, one hand resting on his wife's lower back. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a honeymoon to begin." I wave with a smile at the retreating pair even if they can't see me.

"Well, we can't get married, but he never said anything about a kiss." Pan grins down at me, handing the bouquet off the Archie and pulling me in for the best kiss of my entire life. I could feel tingles from my lips all the way down to my toes, my fingers messing up his hair again as his arms tighten around me until we either have to break apart or die from lack of oxygen. "I love you, Peter."

"And I you, my darling," he breathes against my lips.


	58. Season Four: To Those who Wait

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I’ve finally caught up with OUaT thanks to my season pass, and I’m back until I run out of episodes to write for. This chap takes place the day after the Rumbelle wedding, but before they discover that Elsa’s in town. The song Morgan sings is Run by Katharine McPhee.

“We’re under attack,” I hear Leroy shout seconds before I see him and Sleepy running around a corner and over to where my dad and Emma are standing across the street,” we’re under attack!” Pan and I share a long look, my frustration winning out over my curiosity in the end. There’s no way I’m getting involved in another catastrophe until my papa and Belle return from their honeymoon.

“Uh-uh,” I say, shaking my head and pulling open the theater door,” this ain’t my problem until I’m attacked directly.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Pan agrees, walking in after me. The theater is one of the older buildings in town, the ceilings high with crystal chandeliers wired for electricity, the wooden walls painted with different scenes from old plays like _Romeo and Juliet_ and _Hamlet_ , and the folding seats were wood with red velvet padding to make them more comfortable. Stairs ran between the aisles, leading up to the second level balcony and the different boxes there meant to make people feel like they were at an old fashioned opera house when they rented one.

Papa had box three reserved permanently in case something was being performed that we both liked or I was doing some small role in the play—it was one of the best boxes since it was just the right distance from the stage that everything came across well and the sound carried better. Near the front towards the stage, a small folding table had been set up and there were three chairs behind it, two of them occupied by the two people I hate most in this world: Mister and Mrs. Bryland. Fantastic. “What are you doing here, Miss Gold,” Mister Bryland asks.

“Gee, I don’t know, what do normal people come here for when they’re not buying a seat,” I ask sarcastically. “Don’t get your panties in a twist, you only have to deal with me if I get a part.” The owner of the theater, Micah Blaine, walks in from the back rooms where everything was stored, a lazy smile on his face when he spots me.

“Miss Gold,” he greets in his usual low tone, brushing some of his shaggy reddish-brown hair out of his eyes. “About time you decided to show up and leave the ghost busting to the older people.”

“I see you haven’t changed much, Micah.” He scoffs dramatically, throwing himself down in the third seat and propping his boots up on the table. He’s barely twenty-three, but he already owns one of the few buildings that my papa doesn’t have a share in, and he always like to dress in what he calls hobo chic. His boots were unlaced and dirty, his jeans looking like they’ve seen better days, and his ACDC tee was torn near the collar with an old coffee stain down the front.

“Change is for the people who can’t avoid it, sweetie pie. Now, get up there and shake your ass for me.”

“Wouldn’t you rather see my boyfriend shaking his ass,” I ask as I climb up onto the stage, sitting on the edge with my feet dangling in the air. Micah’s critical gaze slides over Pan with slight interest, hazel eyes narrowing a fraction before they turn back on me.

“Nah, he’s too skinny and Nicky gets jealous. Ain’t that right, babe.” The last sentence is louder than usual so his boyfriend could hear him in the back.

“You’re damn skippy,” Nick returns without looking up from the prop he was painting. “Show those two stiffs what you’re made of, Mo-mo.” I give him a smile in thanks, using magic to make the music start, but no lyrics like there would be if I was using an iPod. After a deep breath, I stand and begin to dance in a way I never had before—to my credit, I didn’t look like I was trying to do the Drunken Giraffe this time.

“ _I’ll sing it one last time for you_ ,” I sing, voice projecting despite my soft tone that the song requires,” _and we really have to go_. _You’ve been the only thing that’s right in all I’ve done and I can barely look at you, but every single time I do, I know we’ll make it anywhere away from here. Light up, light up as if you have a choice. Even if you cannot hear my voice, I’ll be right beside you, dear. Louder, louder and we’ll run for our lives. I can hardly speak—I understand why you can’t raise your voice to say, to think I might not see those eyes, makes it so hard not to cry.”_

I have to pause every now and then, both for breath and to let the actual music be heard before continuing with the lyrics. “ _And as we say our goodbyes, I nearly do. Light up, light up as if you have a choice. Even if you cannot hear my voice, I’ll be right beside you, dear. Louder, louder and we’ll run for our lives. I can hardly speak—I understand why you can’t raise your voice to say light up, light up even if you cannot hear your voice, I’ll be right beside you, dear._ ”

Micah claps slowly, eyelids drooping low as they always were—always making him seem unsurprised at everything. You could tell him that George Clooney had showed up to perform an excerpt from Ocean’s Eleven and his expression wouldn’t change. His naturally laid back nature is one of the things I love most about him. “Not bad, Morgan. Isn’t that right, Sheeple?” That was his term for the ordinary citizens that he didn’t like, people he thought would mindlessly follow orders without the slightest question about why they should. The Brylands grumble quietly to themselves, knowing their opinions didn’t actually matter since it’s Micah that makes the final decisions at the end of the day.

“Well, if you decide to let me in on it, call my cell.” I hop down, walking over to Micah and giving the older man a tight hug. I’m not sure who he was in the other world, but I’d bet my right shoe that he was someone of importance. “Until then, I heard Grumpy yelling about being attacked just before I came in here, so I guess that means I should run back to my house and watch Netflix till Papa returns.

“Watch M.A.S.H. for me while I’m stuck in this hellhole with these two half-wits.” The twin looks he gets from the Brylands only make his smile widen a fraction. “You know the old saying—those who can’t do, teach.”

“Yeah, you guys have fun. Nicky, if you need money to bail Micah out of jail any time soon, let me know!”

“You got it, Kiddo,” Nicky grins, setting aside his prop and moving on to another. He’s Micah’s complete opposite, more surfer boy type than artsy fartsy with longish blonde hair, warm brown eyes, and tan skin. He’s broad-shouldered and strong, while Micah’s skinny and pale; both smoke weed in their spare time, so that’s one thing they have in common, at least. While Micah owns the theater, Nicky is the only reason he hasn’t sold it to my papa—Micah being more interested in football and hockey, which is funny considering he doesn’t look like he could fight his way out of a paper bag.

“I take it you’re close with those two,” Pan laughs as we walk outside, pulling his beanie down over the tips of his ears.

“Oh yeah, Micah was my bodyguard when I used to go clubbing.”

“He doesn’t look like he could beat a curtain, let alone an actual person.”

“You say that now, but you’ve never seen that man when there’s a sale at the boutique on South Street and someone has the last of the Gucci purses. He’s downright terrifying and that poor lady didn’t stand a chance.”

* * *

“So what do you think’s happening in town,” Pan asks, both of us reclined on the couch with Netflix up on the flat screen.

“Who cares,” I respond, munching on popcorn as Radar O’Reilly runs around the M.A.S.H. camp with different pieces of a jeep he was sending home. “It’s not nearly as interesting as this.” He nods, taking some popcorn.

“Good evening, beautiful,” Daddy says as he walks in the living room and placing a kiss on the top of my head just before he works his way between Pan and me on the couch. “How’d your audition go?”

“She was fantastic,” Pan tells him, holding out the bowl of popcorn. We’re both to never snuggling when an adult is around at this point.

“I have no doubt about that, she _is_ my daughter.”

“Yeah, and your singing sounds like a dying cat,” I joke, smiling up at my father. “Ah, my strange little family.”

The rest of the night is just the three of us—eating Mickey D’s and watching movies. It’s nice to finally be able to relax instead of running around like chickens with our heads cut off, but I wish Papa could be here to enjoy the downtime. I’ll catch when his honeymoon is over, he and I can call a lazy day and spend the entire day in our jammies, snacking on unhealthy food, and watching Disney movies like we used to before the curse was broken. With a smile, I realize Stitch was right as I snuggle closer to my daddy, his arm wrapped securely around my shoulders.

 _This is my family, I found it all on my own. It’s little and it’s broken, but it’s still good—yeah, still good_.

 


	59. Chapter 59

“ _This is a man’s, man’s, man’s world, but it don’t mean nothing without a woman or a girl. Man thinks about a little baby, baby girl and boy—man makes them happy, ‘cause man makes them little toys_ ,” I sing to myself, the page of lyrics floating above my head as I relax in the warm bath, the jets hitting my back perfectly and making the muscles less tense. Micah had decided that I would be singing during the intermissions since we have a new monster in town, I had two to prepare for and the songs would be the easy part. “ _Oh, this is a man’s, man’s world, but it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl._ ”

I was just about to get to the part I had trouble with when the lights flickered and went out, leaving me in a pitch black bathroom butt naked. “No,” I hear Pan shout,” how the hell will I find out what happens to Flynn Ryder now?!” I snort a little, using magic to make a small orb of light appear to light up the room so I can dry and get dressed. I wiggle into a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a black tank with a dark red, off the shoulder top over it, and Jungle Book fuzzy socks before walking downstairs. I use magic to tame my thick hair, a pair of Ugg boots appearing on my feet and a brown leather backpack in my hands.

I find my boyfriend curled up on the couch with Fidget and Pup, all three looking horrified at the dark TV screen. “You wanna go check it out,” I ask as he slowly turns to look at me. Slowly, he nods his head and stands up, pulling on his sneakers and leather jacket before walking with me outside. We barely make it down the porch steps when my cell begins to ring. “Yo,” I answer, pressing the speakerphone symbol so that Pan can hear.

“Hey, we’re heading to the town line,” comes Emma’s voice from the other end. “Are you guys coming?”

“We just made it outside, meet you there.”

“You got it.” I hang up, digging the car keys out of my bag and replacing them with my phone before leading the way to the garage where my little car is waiting in the driveway. Fidget hops inside when I open the driver’s side door, the cat moving to sit in the back floorboard and looking around with intelligent green eyes.

“Pup isn’t gonna be happy if you leave him here,” I tell the cat seconds before Pan opens his door and Pup climbs into the back with Fidget. “All right, looks like the gang’s all here.” I get in and start the car, making sure Pan was comfortable before backing out and heading for the town line. Where there was usually a spray painted line to mark the edge of town, there’s now a large wall of ice raised high in the sky, stopping way above my head. The others are already there when Pan and I show up, Dad sending a nod in my direction as my group piles out of the car.

Fidget settles himself in my arms and Pup walks to sit at Dad’s side, rubbing Dad’s leg with his soft head. Dad pets his head fondly, liking the dog no matter how much he protested otherwise. “About time you two decided to make an appearance,” he quips,” I thought we would be forced to melt this ourselves.”

“If you want, I can run back to the store and pick up a lot of hairdryers.” He makes a face, sticking his tongue out at me. “Oh yeah, that’s mature.” Emma raises her brows, and I can tell by her crossed arms and no bullshit attitude that Dad has been trying to worm his way further into her life. “Okay, step back, Kiddies. This might not be pretty.” Feeling arrogant, I stretch out my arms with my fingers pointed at the giant wall of ice, feeling magic coursing through me and at my target….With nothing to show for it afterwards. The ice wall is still as tall as ever and I didn’t even cause a dent in it.

“And what did we learn today, darling,” Pan asks smugly. I glare at my boyfriend, the older boy shying away.

“Flynn Ryder dies.” The expression he gains after those three words almost makes me feel guilty— _almost_ , but not quite considering it even says it at the very beginning before we meet Rapunzel. “Try and make me feel stupid again and I tell you what happens at the Red Wedding.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Don’t try me, pretty boy, not when I can’t bring down that stupid glacier!” I shout the last bit at the ice, hands clenched into fists at my sides. “Seriously, that’s stronger than the ice that took down the  _Titanic_.” David sends me a disapproving look and I hold up my hands in surrender. “Okay, not my best reference, but you get the picture. I’ve never experienced this type of magic before, so y’all need to bring your heads together and form some kind of think-tank.”

“Great, you’re the only one that has control of your magic in this town apart from Gold,” David complains.

“Yeah, and I’ve been instructed to tell everyone that if Papa and Belle are disturbed on their honeymoon, the old Papa will come out and superglue the idiot that does it to a billboard….Butt naked and covered in honey and feathers. So, I’d avoid calling him for your own safety.”

“What about you?”

“Are you kidding me? He’d ground me for a month and turn off the WiFi—I’m not risking what little sanity I have left because y’all don’t feel like attacking this ice with hairdryers and fire.”

“That’s real heroic.” Pan and I share a moment of laughter, pointing at David like he was some new level of dumb.

“Oh, Nolan,” Pan gasps as he recovers,” we’re not the hero types, we’re the neutrals that fight when we don’t have much of a choice.”

“Then why did you both come here if you didn’t have to.”

“Because,” I explain, pointing over my shoulder at Dad,” he’d disturb Papa and Belle if I didn’t. I don’t know about you, but I could do without the sight of my dad covered in only honey and feathers burned into my retinas.”

“Fair enough.” I don’t notice that Pan had followed after Emma until David is walking over to my father. “I think it’s time you and I had a little talk about your intentions with my daughter.”

“I’ll just be over here.” I leave them to the discussion, hoping it’s really awkward considering all the talks I got after I began to date Pan. Hell, I still get them from random people around town and Papa had hired Ruby to tell me about the birds and the bees. Whale’s promised that if Pan knocks me up, he’s gonna knock Pan out. I kneel down on the ground, reaching out a hand to touch some of the ice and snow. “What are you,” I ask no one in particular, voice too soft to be heard by anyone. This magic isn’t compatible with mine, none of it trying to twine with my own. It actually seemed to try and push me away.

“Emma!” I look up at my father’s panicked shout, finding Pan, Emma, and some other lady just a few feet away from where I am. I stay in my crouched position, noticing how some snowflakes seemed to swirl around the new girl. She’s pretty with braided white-blonde hair, pale skin, and a figure to kill for, but her dress was definitely not something you’d find in Storybrooke and neither is her magic, until tonight, that is.

“Stay back,” Emma warns, holding out her hands in a stand down gesture as Pan and the woman do the same.

“Hey, hey, hey,” David says as he and Dad ignore Emma’s protests.

“Stay back, it’s okay, she’s just trying to find—“

But we don’t get to figure out what she’s trying to find out as David brings out his pistol and a new wall of ice begins to form between them and us. It seemed to come out of nowhere, the woman having no control as an avalanche began, the pieces of ice from high above and vibration of the ground making me fall back and scramble away to keep from being crushed. I groan, getting back on my feet with the help of a nearby stalagmite of ice. “Pan,” I ask, looking around, but only finding my dad and David. I follow where the men are staring, finding that ice had covered the space the others had been standing moments ago. “Pan!” I move as quickly as I can, trying not to slip as I follow the tiny path up to where I’d last seen my boyfriend, beating against the ice. My magic has no effect on it and my dad’s hook only grazes the surface.

“What if we lift,” David suggests, gently moving me out of the way so he can join Dad. When that idea doesn’t work, I wriggle between the two men and try my magic again, desperately working with magical fire to get the ice to melt. “Don’t tire yourselves out!” I don’t pay any attention to him, continuing to focus as Dad begins to go at the ice with his hook again. “This isn’t getting us anywhere!” He grabs both of us, his tight hold on my wrist making me lose focus.

“Do you have any suggestions, then,” Dad demands to know,” because we obviously can’t do this on our own!”

“We’re going to need magic stronger than Morgan’s to unmake this thing.” Both men look down at me, pleading me to make the call that could see me without Netflix for a month. I pull out my cell, dialing the one number I’ve been trying to avoid.

“Hey, Papa,” I say with a false happy tone,” by any chance, have you finished with your honeymoon?”

**Pan**

Whimpering, I slowly sit up and look around, finding ice surrounding me like some kind of twisted isolation room at the hospital. Emma and the other chick are talking about something or other, but I’m more focused on finding out whether or not Morgan had been trapped as well. “….You and your people need to be more careful,” I hear the woman saying,” Keep your distance.”

“I would have been happy to,” I grumble, standing up,” if you hadn’t knocked out the power, I would be home right now and happily watching a movie and listening to my girlfriend sing in the bathtub. But can we get a break around here? Hell no, it’s like a law that something big has to happen every other month or the freaking world will come to an end!” I throw my hands up in the air, beginning to pace in order to get my warmth back.

“Bring me what I want and then I’ll consider freeing the both of you.” If she knew how scary Morgan gets when angry, then she’d let us go without a problem.

“Your sister, right,” Emma checks, stuffing her hands in her pockets and shifting from foot to foot. I continue to pace, listening to the conversation and waiting for any sign that points to my girlfriend’s safety. I’ve become fond of the girl and I’ll be pissed if something happens to her before I can make certain that she knows my feelings. Not all men are as deplorable as that Vincent that I killed, and while I may have certain dark tendencies, I would never beat the crap out of a woman—especially not a woman that could easily suck up my magic and turn it back on me. “I can’t really look for her from in here.”

There’s a brief crackle of static before David’s voice rings out from the walkie talkie inside Emma’s jacket,” Emma, can you hear me?!” Emma takes the device out, the black box scaring the other woman more than it did me the first time I saw it.

“What is that,” she asks with an edge of panic in her voice as she holds out a hand.

“It, uh,” she tries to explain as David continues to yell,” allows me to talk to my father, whose on the other side of that wall, but if you want to melt that, we can all talk.” It’s obvious she has no control over her magic, just like I didn’t when I first encountered the extensive cache of it in the heart of Neverland. Felix helped me learn, made sure I knew it all before he began to take control.

“Tell him to go get Anna.” Anna? Oh right, that’s her sister’s name.

“Dad, can you hear me?” She holds the device closer to her mouth, ensuring that her words wouldn’t come out mangled on the other end.

“Emma!” This time it’s Hook’s voice, the desperation in his tone telling all what he feels for the blonde. “Say again.”

“I’m in here with this woman. She’s looking for her sister, Anna. She thinks that Anna is in town because she found a necklace of hers in Gold’s shop. She wants us to try and find her before—“

“Before I freeze this town and everyone in it,” the woman interrupts, grabbing Emma’s arm and bringing the device close to her own lips.

“You listen to me, you walking popsicle,” Morgan snarls, no doubt having ripped the walkie talkie out of Hook’s hand,” you turn my boyfriend into a frozen dinner and I’ll make frostbite seem like a goodnight kiss! You can bet your sweet ass that I will make you wish you had frozen yourself if Pan is hurt—“

“We’re going to Gold’s,” says David,” maybe he’ll know something.” I can still hear Morgan yelling threats in the background until David releases the tiny button on the side to allow Emma to speak. She holds it out for me and I take it, holding it as though it may bite me.

“Ah, Morgan,” I say into the speaker, voice shaking slightly as I shiver,” try not to get grounded because I’m certain that Gold will make me suffer as well.” I hand the device back to Emma, moving further away from the women and beginning to do jumping jacks, knowing that if I stopped like I really want to, then the chance of dying would only rise. If Morgan finds out I let myself die, she’ll find a way to bring me back only to kill me again her own way. My breath comes out in puffs of white smoke, the cold making me ache everywhere and my teeth chatter loudly.

This is terrible, I’ve never been so cold in my life and I spent quite a few winters sleeping outside as a child until those spinsters found me and took me in. I continue moving, though slower than I had been when I started, my movements sluggish and hard to maintain. I just want to lie down, just for one single moment, and rest! The first thing I’m doing if I make it out of here is buying a heavier jacket and a couple of dozen blankets.

**Morgan**

I lead the way into Papa’s shop, only briefly noticing that the lock was messed up as I walk straight in and over to the counter where Papa and Belle are sorting through things. “It appears our honeymoon truly is over,” Papa quips.

“Did you doubt me when I said I had an emergency,” I ask, resting my arms up on the glass case, careful not to disturb the piles of index cards.

“Honestly, your emergencies range anywhere from your favorite character dying to a real person dying, so you’ll have to be more specific next time, little bird. Which it right now?”

“Emma and Pan are trapped under ice by a woman who has some kind of ice magic,” David explains quickly.

“And this involves me because?”

“You’re the bloody Dark One,” Dad says irritably,” do something.”

“Well, I could melt the ice and destroy it with a thought, but that would also destroy your girlfriend and our daughter’s boyfriend. As much as I would love to blast Pan into the next world, I’d also have to live with Morgan afterwards and we all know how prickly she can be.” I scowl, shooting a look at Belle that she returns with a shrug. She can’t control what comes out of Papa’s mouth any more than I can since she doesn’t possess the real dagger.

“Nobody’s destroying anyone,” David says, holding an arm out to keep Dad from doing something stupid. “Now, the woman who has Emma and Pan trapped is in there with them and she’s looking for her sister—name of Anna.” That name sounds really familiar, but I can’t place where I’ve heard it before. “She thinks she’s in town because of something of hers she found in your shop—a necklace.” Belle looks down at the index cards, Papa’s way of keeping inventory organized in case someone shows up to claim an object.

“Is this it,” she asks after a moment, holding out the card for the rest of us to see. The card has been through the typewriter, the description of it printed out and a picture of the object paper-clipped to it for extra help. Its design is a silver snowflake, though a little tarnished with age, it was still pretty with a sizable diamond in the very center.

“I know this. I know exactly who Anna is.”

**Pan**

I never knew it was possible to be this tired until right now, my feet and hands have long since gone numb and the rest of my body beginning to follow suit. Since I’m still standing and pacing in a tight circle, the woman focuses her attention on Emma with occasional glances in my direction. Emma’s taking it worse than I am, trying to sleep despite the increased risk of death if she does so. At the very least, she could come down with hypothermia.

Cold and hurting too badly to stand, I curl up beside the space that the ice had blocked off, my chin on my knees. Suddenly, the whispers of the women are drowned out by what Morgan has assured me is the Doctor Who theme song and my ringtone. I barely manage to dig the device out of my pocket, pressing answer and then speaker before resting the device on my knees. “M-Mor-gan,” I stutter in greeting.

“Hey,” she answers,” Dad and David are looking for something that can help us find Anna, but how are you guys?”

“Emma’s almost unconscious and I’m not doing much better.”

“W-well, you have to stay awake. Uh….Sing to me.”

“You’re the one with the good voice, darling, not me.”

“I don’t care, sing our song with me. You remember it, the one playing on the radio when we driving home from the welcome back dinner?”

“How could I-I f-f-forget?” I hear her take a deep, steadying breath before her voice fills the cave-like room, making it easier for me to relax a fraction from where the cold has made me tense.

“ _When your soul finds the soul it was waiting for, when someone walks into your heart through an open door, when your hand finds the hand it was meant to hold, don’t let go. Someone comes into your world, suddenly your world has changed forever! No, there’s no one else’s eyes that can see into me. No one else’s arms can lift, lift me up so high. Your love lifts me out of time and you know my heart by heart._ ” Swallowing hard, and shaking almost too badly to speak, I join in as a way to stay awake.

“ _When you’re one with the one you were meant to find everything falls in place, all the stars align. When you’re touched by the cloud that has touched your soul, don’t let go!_ ” While Morgan executes the lyrics just fine, I have to stutter my way through them, wishing I could breathe easier. “ _Someone comes into your life, it’s like they’ve been in your life forever!_ ”

I pay no attention as David begins to talk using the walkie talkie again, I just focus on staying awake and singing with Morgan. “ _N-no the-ere’s no one e-else’s eyes tha-at c-can see in-into me_.” Suddenly the ice beside me begins to disappear, a wave of magic burrowing its way through it until there’s a hole big enough to crawl through. Hook and David help me out, basically handing me off to Morgan. I cling tightly to her, craving her warmth. “I-I s-s-san-ng with you,” I gasp out, letting her magic wrap around me like a warm hug and lift me into the air.

“I know,” she smiles, sniffling a little. “I heard you and you were right, you sound like Fidget when he’s angry.” I laugh a little, but I can’t manage more than that until I’m safely tucked inside the backroom in Gold’s shop, four blankets wrapped tightly around me, and Morgan’s magic warming me further.

“When I said I loved you a few days ago….I wasn’t just saying that so you would stay with me.” She nods, holding me tightly as she curled up in my lap. “I’m serious, I love you so much and it’s a good thing too because I’m starting to think you might just be the death of me, woman.”

“We’re only teenagers,” she says softly,” how do we know what love really is?”

“Because, technically, I’m over two hundred years old and you’re in your forties. If we don’t have a hint as to what it is at this point, we’ve been doing something wrong. I love you, Morgan Elizabeth Gold-Jones, whatever your name is, I love you and that’s that.”

“I….I suppose I love you too, even if you are a dork.” The lights decide to come on a few seconds later, making Morgan and I smile at the good timing.

“So, shall we return home and finish season three of Game of Thrones, or will you keep me in suspense about the Red Wedding forever?”

“Trust me, it’s not a good thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there we have it, Pan is finally the damsel in distress! The song Morgan sings at the very beginning is called 'It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World' by Katharine McPhee and the song Pan and Morgan sing together is called 'Heart by Heart' by Demi Lovato.


	60. Chapter 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me just say that I haven’t seen Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, so if my story contradicts in any way what happened there Aladdin-wise, then just think of it as AU, I guess. For anyone wondering, Mozenrath is a villain off the old Aladdin cartoon series.

**Dark Castle**

The castle ahead would normally intimidate people who weren’t used to the evil surrounding it, dark stones and stained glass windows—almost like the cathedrals in the land without magic. Mozenrath admired the architecture, it reminded him of his own house in the East, a citadel guarded by the undead under his control. With confidence, he walks closer to the castle, pushing its heavy front doors open and stepping inside. He had to give it to the Dark One, he certainly possessed more magical objects than Mozenrath thought possible.

“Trespassing isn’t a smart thing to do here, Dearie,” someone speaks in a singsong tone, the voice echoing and making it impossible for Mozenrath to pinpoint the direction it came from. “I assume you have a good reason, little necromancer?”

“Come out and face me,” Mozenrath demands. A giggle reaches his ears and magic assaults his senses, Moznerath lashing out and grabbing a handful of a silk dress. Instead of the Dark One like he had expected, he finds a girl staring up at him, maybe fourteen or fifteen years of age and still just a child. She stares up at him with wide blue eyes, looking as though she hadn’t expected him to catch her. “Well, you certainly look different than they described you.”

“Who are you,” she asks, her voice soft.

“This is Mozenrath,” the other voice states, a man appearing from the shadows seconds afterwards. Now, this is the man Mozenrath expected to see, the green-gold skin making the other immortal seem intimidating enough without the waves of powerful magic coming off him. “Lord of the Land of the Black Sands. He’s going to let go of you soon or he’ll lose that hand.” Rumpelstiltskin’s voice had dropped to a dark tone on the last sentence, Mozenrath quick to comply and releasing the girl. She wastes no time in running over to Rumpelstiltskin, a strange contrast as she stands next to him.

“Rumple,” Mozenrath says with a respectful nod. “I suppose you know why I’m here.”

“Of course I do, Dearie! You’re in _wuv_ , but your other half isn’t immortal like you are. What’s his name again? Something strange yet fitting.”

“His name is Aladdin.”

**Storybrooke**

“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” Papa says as I run over the lyrics of my second song,” but I’ve never seen her before in my life.”

“So how’d she end up inside your urn inside your secret vault of terror,” Emma asks disbelievingly. She, Elsa, and Dad walked in a few minutes ago when I was eating a donut and they’ve been asking questions about Elsa ever since.

“Look, if you really want to know how she wound up there, she’s standing right beside you, Miss Swan. Why don’t you ask her?” Obviously the blonde had no memories and they thought Papa might have something to do with that because she was stuck in an urn that Papa had locked away in his old vault.

“She did,” Elsa admits,” but I can’t remember. Something happened to my memories.”

“Well, an all-too-common affliction round these parts. Pity.” I laugh under my breath, stretching on the floor until I can reach my toes, my eyes never leaving the page in front of me. As the understudy for Mrs. Lovett, I’m expected to know her lines and songs as well as the ones I do for intermission. “But as you can see, many objects fall into my possession—urns, necklaces, all manner of things. I can’t know the history behind all of them.”

“Only if there’s something in it for you,” Dad remarks. “Right, mate?”

“Yeah, well, that may have been true once. But recently my life has been….Turned upside down. I’ve lost a son, gained a wife, and apparently and extra guest in my house that intends to date my daughter without asking my permission.” I look up at that, grinning as Pan blushes and both men send a glare in his direction. “So you might say….I’ve decided to turn over a new leaf.” Yeah, but does the new side of the leaf include lying to people and being virtually your old self? I could care less if that were true, I’d love the man no matter what, but a nicer side would be pleasant for once.

“Don’t forget about my super power,” Emma reminds him,” I’ll be able to tell if you’re lying.”

“How about I do you one better? Let’s simply have Belle use the dagger on me.” Here we go, a big show to make the others thinks he’s really telling the truth despite the tiniest little twitch of his nose that points out otherwise.

“What, no,” Belle protests as I go back to my stretching and donut munching,” no, Rumple, you don’t have to do that.”

“No, no, no, Miss Swan wants proof and I’m happy to cooperate.” _I bet you are, Papa dearest_. He didn’t tell me where he’s hidden the real dagger in case someone figures him out and decides to go after me, but I do know it’s not the one in Belle’s purse. With a disapproving expression sent in in the others’ direction, she pulls the dagger out of her purse, holding it gently as she lets out a shuddering sigh.

“I command you, Dark One….To tell them the truth.”

“The truth is just as I said. I had no idea there was someone inside there. I know nothing about Elsa or her sister, but I wish you the best of luck finding her.” My phone begins ringing right after that, Pan tossing it to me.

“Hello,” I say a little breathlessly, taking another bite of my donut as I wait for the other person to respond.

“Do you plan to spend all day in your papa’s store or do you plan to come to rehearsal, Kiddo,” Nicky inquires. “Because, it’s taking you longer to eat that donut than it does me to bleach my hair.” Curious, I peer past everybody towards the glass front door and wave at Nicky, cramming the rest of the donut in my mouth, shoving my papers and my phone in a messenger bag, and standing up.

“Love you, Papa.” I give my papa a peck on the cheek. “And you, Daddy.” I give him the same before moving on to Pan. “I will see you for lunch.” He nods, accepting my kiss and giving me a hug before allowing me to leave the store. “So, have you found your main cast yet or is Micah still being finicky?” Nicky grimaces, shaking his head.

“Ah, we found our Anthony and Judge Turpin, but we’re still lacking Sweeney, Lovett, and Johanna. Micah’s insisting that Lovett should actually have the dark hair, but everyone that the Brylands have suggested is disappointing Micah. Most of the actors in Storybrooke are teenagers like you, so he’ll just have to settle with the best.”

“Mm, maybe we should make him get hair extensions and singing lessons.” Nicky loops one if his arms through mine with a sigh, staring ahead of us where the theater was looming. “Beware all ye who enter here for dead men tell no tales.” He pushes the door open, waiting for me to enter first.

“With the mood Micah’s in, that’s an apt quote. Let’s get this over with, Kiddo, and if we survive today, I’ll buy dinner.”

“Remember me in case he boils me alive.” I can hear Micah’s voice echoing as we make our way into the main part of the theater, his normally soft tones now sharp as he yells at some poor extra.

“You wanna make it in any kind of acting business, then you had damn well be able to cope with improvisation and bitchy directors,” Micah shouts, making the extra flinch back. Micah’s eyes land on me, his jaw flexing. “Morgan, show this idiot how it works and say something in character from The Mummy! Now!” After a second of shocked silence and desperate scrambling for a line, I speak again trying to get as much in character as I can at the moment.

“Well, you put up with me because I can read and write in ancient Egyptian, decipher hieroglyphics and hieratics... and well I am the only person within five thousand miles who can properly code and catalogue this library, that's why!”

“That’s how you do it, Bradley, even if she sounded nothing like Evelyn! Get in the very back and practice harder!” When he faces Nicky and me again he’s still angry, but beginning to simmer down. “This is ridiculous, all the kid has to do is ignore our Sweeney auditions during the singing bit.”

“Mm-hm, well, I’m gonna sneak over to my spot on the stage to run over my lyrics and you stay here with your mouth shut, and let Nicky handle things. Last thing we need is for you to blow up at someone who hasn’t seen all of your favorite movies.”

“Get ready to run lines with our Sweeney wannabe’s, we’re gonna need you until the extras learn their shit for the dance number.” I hope Pan and the others have a better day than I’m going to have.

**Pan**

“So,” I ask, following after Hook and Elsa,” why is it exactly I’m going with you guys?” Hook doesn’t answer at first, navigating through the town and trying not to get Elsa spotted by the crowds. “I don’t have any magic to help you guys, Morgan sucks it right out of me with a good morning peck on the lips without even trying.”

“That’s why you’re with us, if we’re spotted, then we can throw you to the angry mob while Elsa and I run as fast as we can in the opposite direction. That way, I’ll be able to keep Elsa safe and you away from my daughter.” We move through a narrow alley between buildings, Elsa sandwiched between Hook and me just in case. “Wait.” He holds up his good hand, waiting until a few people had passed before sticking his head out and looking around. “Alright, coast is clear.”

“Seriously, why does no one trust me to date Morgan without hurting her?”

“It might have something to do with the fact that you kidnapped her as a way to keep Felix alive just a bit longer.” I bump into Elsa accidentally when she comes to a sudden halt, nearly topping over the woman. “’Coast is clear’ means go, love.”

“I’m not coming with you two,” She says with a hard resolve. “There’s someone out there with powers like mine. I need to find out who. I….I can’t just hide out in some Sheriff’s station.”

“You told her you were taking her to the station,” I ask with a scoff. “Yes, truly, I’m the one everybody needs to be concerned about. It’s not like I’m lying to newcomers about where I’m whisking them off to.” At Elsa’s befuddled expression, I explain. “The Sherriff’s station is on the opposite side of town, though I would like to know where the hell we’re going right now.”

“If we’re lucky,” Hook says with a smile that puts me on edge,” towards danger.

**Dark Castle**

“Sorry, Dearie,” Rumple apologizes, not sounding sorry in the slightest,” there’s no potion or spell to turn someone immortal. If there was, do you think anybody around here would be mortal?” Mozenrath scowls, gauntleted hand clenched into a fist and glowing a faint red. “But that’s not what you want, is it?”

“No, I want the opposite. I don’t want to be immortal anymore, make me normal again, Dark One, and I will owe you a favor in the future.” Rumpelstiltskin pauses to consider the offer, his eyes moving around the room, but not really seeing anything. “Do we have a deal?”

“I suppose you’ll want me to take care of _that,_ as well?” Mozenrath stares down at the arm ensconced in the dark brown leather, the magic humming in it like an old friend. He’s tried going without it before, he even went as far as to lock it away in a trunk thrown into an ocean, but the pain was too much to bear. If Rumple could remove the pain of a severed connection, then he could do the healing himself. “Very well, but only because you killed your former master before I felt the need to.” Mozenrath shivers at the mention of Destane, the older man having abused Mozenrath until the gauntlet had run its course and chosen a new master.

“Thank you, Dark One.”

“Don’t thank me yet, we’re going to need the blood of a mortal, someone pure and I don’t intend on using my daughter.”

“I….I think I may know someone as long as the blood loss wouldn’t kill them.”

“Don’t worry, Moze, your precious Aladdin will survive the ordeal, but you may not.”

**Killian Jones**

With his mind completely made up, Killian leads the way into Gold’s shop, knowing that he could get whatever he needs with the leverage he now has. “I must apologize,” Gold says without looking up from whatever little mechanism has his attention,” but I’m really rather busy today.”

“And here I was hoping for a warm hello from the newly-reformed Mister Gold,” he says sarcastically, motioning for Pan and Elsa to hang back. The last thing he needs is that little demon worming his way in with the same leverage at a later date.

“This is still a place of business. So unless you have something to offer me, I’m afraid I can be of no further help.” He’s only busy until Vee’s rehearsal has finished, then he and Vee are supposed to have some kind of movie night where it’s only the two of them. He couldn’t help the surge of jealousy that eats at him because Aveena would choose to spend her free night with Gold rather than her biological father. There’s still tension, a small hesitation when she calls Killian “daddy” and it kills him to know that she doesn’t fully trust him the way she does Gold. It’s one of the things that spurs Killian on.

“Well, as it turns out, I _do_ have something to offer you—my silence.” That finally causes Gold to look up, slowly as though he was trying to figure out which secret Killian may know. Killian catches Gold’s eye, mock sympathy in his tone. “See…I know that dagger you gave Belle was a fake.” He keeps his voice relatively low so that Gold was the only other person in the store to hear. Gold looks at him a moment longer before glancing away briefly as he straightens out.

“Is that right?” His tone is quiet as well, sending a few glances over Killian’s shoulder at Pan. So either he knows something as well or Gold doesn’t want him to know.

“Hmm, I’ve hunted you a long time, my old crocodile, and I know you better than most. And I know that you would never let anyone have power over you. Not even Belle.”

“And you expect her to believe you without a shred of proof?” He’s fishing, trying to figure out exactly what Killian knows about the dagger, but the pirate knows more than Gold realizes.

“Well, I could ask her to summon you with the dagger,” he replies, moving his hands as he speaks. “And then, when it doesn’t work—proof.” Gold rests his hands on the counter top, squeezing tightly as he resists the urge to strangle Killian right then and there and blame it on Pan.

“That’s a very dangerous insinuation.”

“So we have a deal?” Gold gives Killian a little smile before speaking again, the smile promising something bad in the future. What could he possibly do to Killian at this point that he hasn’t already? Aveena will always think of Gold as her real father, killing Emma would only bring trouble down on his head, and killing Killian would only serve to turn Aveena against him.

“I do hope Miss Swan’s worth it.”

“Good news,” Killian says in a normal tone to get the others’ attention,” he’s agreed to help.” He looks over his shoulder, watching as Elsa and Pan look up from the objects they had been studying and walking to the back where Killian and Gold are. Elsa stretches out her arm, a few pieces of snow white hair in her palm for Gold to examine.

“This hair is from Marian,” Elsa explains,” someone cast a freezing curse on her. We need to know who it is.” Gold takes the hairs from her, setting them in the palm of his left hand.

“Well,” he sighs,” you’re in luck. Magic can change forms, but never be destroyed. We’ll simply return it to its natural state.” He waves his right hand over them, the hairs changing into snowflakes that hovered in the space over Gold’s hand.

“Snowflakes.”

“Magic similar to yours, Dearie, though not quite the same. Much like a snowflake, each person’s magic is unique.”

“Poetic,” Killian says impatiently. “How does that help us?”

“Well, magic seeks out like-magic. So if I set this free….” Gold leans forward a little, blowing to make the flakes flutter out of his hand and towards the door, as though they were being carried on some sort of wind. “….It should find its way home, back to the person who cast it.”

**Morgan**

“Barker, his name was,” I read out-loud in the soft tone required for the scene. “Benjamin Barker.”

“What was his crime,” the possible Sweeney asks.

“Foolishness.”

“Alright,” Micah calls out,” we’ll stop there and add your name to the potentials list, Mister Carmichael. And now, before anything else goes completely screwy around here, let’s get some lunch.” His mood hasn’t improved in the last few hours, but at least he didn’t bite off any heads lately. I hop off the stage and over to my bag, digging my phone out and checking the lone voicemail.

“ _We’re following some snowflakes to find the guy that froze Marian_ ,” Pan’s message informs me,” _Stay out of trouble while we’re gone_.” When the hell did Robin’s old lady get frozen? I thought there was just going to be a town meeting today. Scowling, I stuff the phone back where I got it and shoulder my bag, walking quickly out of the theater. I have a pretty good feeling that the ‘we’ Pan referred to meant him and my dad, so I just have to use a little tracking magic to get an idea of where they’ve run off to. I pull my mom’s scarf off my wrist, focusing on my magic and making the scarf glow a pale gold before releasing it and following it towards the woods.

“Why do all bad guys think they can hide in the woods,” I grumble to myself. Wouldn’t it make more sense to hide in plain sight or is their flare for the dramatic something they can’t ignore like I can’t ignore the little voice in my head that tells me to eat bacon?” After fifteen minutes of tripping over hidden roots and rocks and nearly getting my head knocked off by tree branches that seemed to appear out of nowhere, I can better understand why our latest villain would set up shop way out here. Carved into every other tree is an X, letting me know I’m on the right track.

“Aveena,” I hear Daddy shout before I actually see him,” run!”

“Why? What the hell is gonna happen to me? Because it’d have to be pretty damn original to shock me at this point!” I walk into the clearing, finding Dad, Elsa, and Pan—just behind them is the ice cream lady dressed in a manner similar to Elsa, though her dress is white and has a high collar. I make it over to my little group of misfits before I find myself unable to move any further, freezing cold ice sprouting from the ground and up on my ankles, sealing me in place. “Okay, kudos to you, lady, this is a new one.”

“You don’t seem panicked,” she says in a soft voice.

“Yeah, well, you’re looking at the woman that has been kidnapped, cursed, and beaten bloody. So, I don’t really freak out about this kind of crap anymore. Near death experiences are something I know how to handle.”

“Hmm, let’s test that.” She waves her hand, stalactites of ice forming over the heads of me, my dad, and my boyfriend. I stare up at them with widened eyes, trying to remain calm even as everyone else begins to panic. Daddy, works on the ice binding our feet with his hook, Pan calls on what little magic he has left in him, but I focus on the feel of Excalibur in my hand, the way it becomes an extension of me when I hold it and move with it. If anything can cut through this shit, then it’s my sword. “Don’t bother,” the ice cream lady tells Elsa as the younger woman attempts to stop the ice,” I’ve neutralized your magic. When your friends are found, you’ll look responsible. Then they’ll turn on you and they’ll treat you as the monster that they truly see you as, and you’ll know that I’m right.”

My panic is harder to control as the stalactites grow longer and longer, their wickedly sharp tips coming closer to impaling me. “Come on,” I whisper, squeezing my eyes shut as Elsa protests loudly,” come on, come on.”

“Hey, Dairy Queen,” Emma shouts suddenly, her and David stopping a few feet away and breaking my concentration.

“Emma,” ice cream lady asks with a note a familiarity.

“Do we know each other?” Who cares, the ice has stopped lowering thanks to the distraction! I begin to focus again, harder this time as I recall Excalibur’s perfect weight, remember how easy it is to move with it in hand, like dancing or flying—gracefully and skillfully.

“Of course not. Your reputation precedes you. You really think your magic is a match for mine?”

“There’s only one way to find out.” I can hear as Emma’s magic blasts the other lady off her feet just before Excalibur appears in my outstretched hand, steel gleaming proudly in the afternoon sunlight. I give a slight practice twirl before driving it into the ice holding me in place, the substance shattering on contact and the force of the small blast knocking me on my butt. Not wasting any time, I swing the sword at the ice holding Pan in place as David works at the ice holding my father with his pocket knife. Pan’s ice seems to have learned or something, cracking only a little as I hack at it.

The ice above us crackles slightly, sounding like it was about to come crashing down on us at any second. “Hurry, Morgan,” Pan says breathlessly, hunched over. “It’s going to—“ He’s cut off as all of us are sent flying to the right just as the stalactites crash down, impaling the spots all of us had occupied not seconds ago. “Oh Jesus!” Pan holds onto me, breathing hard and staring at the spot we might have been killed if Emma hadn’t thought ahead.

“You guy’s okay?”

“I’ve had worse,” I say with a grunt, sitting up and rubbing my sore ankles. I would have to deal with the stinging cuts the ice caused later. Right now I just want to relax and ignore all the drama that happens in this godforsaken town. “If everyone else is as peachy as I am, then I’m taking my ass home and having a long shower and curling up on the couch. If you guys need anything else magical today….Well, do without.” Giving Dad a quick hug, I pick Mom’s scarf up and transport myself to the house.

**Gold**

“And then Emma used her magic to throw us out of harm’s way,” Morgan finishes, her cheeks tinged red and her hands moving as she speaks. _Hook does the same thing when he talks, never quite able to stand still_. “After that, I came back here and waited for you to get off work so we could have our movie night.” With the teen slightly distracted by her tale, Rumple waves his hand, just slight enough that she wouldn’t notice, and pauses her.

“I’ll be back in a moment, little bird,” he whispers, kissing the top of her head before disappearing from the living room, reappearing a few moments later deep in the woods. Ingrid would be here shortly, she would need his help eventually and he would get as much as he could out of the deal. He seats himself on a fallen tree, careful not to let the moss growing on it get on his expensive suit. As he predicted, Ingrid appears, walking right past him and pausing a few feet away as she registered different magic. “Don’t worry, Dearie.” She turns, looking at him over her shoulder. “It’s only me. Sorry things didn’t work out the way you wanted.”

“They will,” she responds cautiously. Smart, she knows he wants something, but that won’t stop him.

“We shall see.” He rises from his makeshift chair, walking over to the woman. “And, uh….Did Miss Swan remember you?”

“No.”

“That’s good for you. Because it _could_ happen.” Memory charms are easy to undo, even the ones cast by Rock Trolls. “And you wouldn’t want that, now, would you?” She doesn’t answer, merely staring at him with those icy grey eyes, as cold as she was. “Are you sure you don’t want my help?”

“When I’m ready to make a deal, I’ll come to you.”

“A moment I eagerly await. Now, you should find some shelter. It’s getting quite frosty.” With the last little jibe, he turns and walks away, disappearing back to his house the moment he was out of Ingrid’s line of sight. Taking a moment to make sure no traces of his outing were visible, he relaxes back on the couch beside his daughter and releases her from the spell she wouldn’t even realize she had been under.

“So,” Morgan smiles,” what should we watch first?”

 


	61. Chapter 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The book Morgan reads to Micah is Aladdin

**Dark Castle**

Aveena watches with wide eyes as her papa mixes up a new potion, a new man sitting at the table and holding Mozenrath's hand tightly. This new man is handsome, tall and tan with fluffy dark brown hair and kind brown eyes, he was certainly stronger than Mozenrath physically, obviously the type to work out in the sun. The fourteen year old almost felt bad for the pain that Mozenrath would soon endure, but knew it would mean getting what he wanted in the long run.

"Aveena, dear," Papa calls," come and help me with this." She moves quickly, her hands steady as she takes the small knife from Rumpelstiltskin. "Make a small cut on Aladdin's arm just near the elbow."

"Yes, Papa," she murmurs, holding Aladdin's forearm in her free hand and running the tip of the dagger across the man's upper arm, a shallow cut quickly spilling out precious blood. Aladdin hisses, but doesn't jerk away, simply watching on as Rumple captured a few drops of blood in a small brass bowl, moving back to his other ingredients while Mozenrath healed his lover. "Are the two of you really in love?"

"Yes," Mozenrath nods solemnly, his uncovered hand pushing a few strands of hair from Aladdin's face. They looked at each other tenderly, as though nothing else in the world mattered as long as they were together. She had never seen that expression before, not since Belle ran away and died. Papa hadn't taken her departure well, smashing every mirror in the castle including the one in my chambers.

"How did you both meet?" Aladdin laughs, turning his gaze to me.

"He created a monster to terrorize my fiancé's kingdom to lure the heroes out, so he could use them to collar a Thurdack." Mozenrath blushes, grumbling under his breath about the nasty magic-eating beast that had nearly finished him off when he first recovered it. "Of course, the whole incident ended up blowing up in his face when me and my friends forced him to return the Thurdack to its world again, but he continued to fight back."

"And when did you both fall in love?"

"Ah, I'm not really sure. I guess it started when we shared a body that one time and was confirmed when Agrabah was attacked by the Forty Thieves during my wedding. Mozenrath showed up and offered to help as long as we returned his Gauntlet to him and we ended up finding my dad, fighting the thieves that had managed to escape capture, and falling for each other while I grieved for Jasmine. Sa'Luk murdered her before I had the chance to save her and Moze here was the only one around me who understood that kind of loss."

"Yes," Mozenrath drawls," it was all very dramatic." Aladdin smiles, nudging the older man until he was smiling, too. "I made Jasmine's murderer into one of my Mamluks, stuck in a state of suspended animation, aware of what's going on, but unable to do anything about it."

"That's why Papa called you a necromancer," Aveena realizes with a small gasp.

"Enough with the background," Rumple orders, holding up a clear vile containing a cloudy substance. "Mozenrath, if you would be so kind as to drink this and get out of my hair until I need that favor." Mozenrath takes a deep breath, the Gauntleted hand taking the vile while his free hand squeezed Aladdin's.

"It'll be okay, Moze," Aladdin promises softly," I'm here for you." With a meaningful look sent in Aladdin's direction, Mozenrath tips the vile back and swallows it all at once, shaking his head fiercely afterwards in disgust.

"Eck," he groans," that's horrible!" Everyone keeps their eyes on Mozenrath, watching as he sticks out his tongue and continues to make fussy noises until he suddenly doubles over, dry heaving as his legs give out. He lands hard on the floor, back arching and face growing a dark red. "A-A-Al—"

"Do something," Aladdin snarls, dropping to the floor beside Mozenrath and supporting his head as he goes into spasms. His eyes have rolled into the back of his head and his mouth is beginning to foam.

**Storybrooke**

I swing my legs back and forth, waiting as the Lovetts' are ushered onto the stage—each in various stages of dress. A few had donned Lovett cosplay outfits and others had shown up in street clothes. Micah hasn't shown up yet, though, and I can tell that Nicky is beginning to grow worried. He paces back and forth across the stage while Mister Bryland's lawyer tried to get Bryland's wife to sign divorce papers that he had brought with him.

Micah was on breakfast duty since he made us show up here so early and he should have been back ten minutes ago. "Maybe he just got distracted or Granny's is packed and he's still waiting," I suggest with a shrug. "You know how Micah is, he has a short attention span, especially when he's surrounded by other men with butts like yours."

"Not really helping, Mo-Mo," he grumbles, running a hand through his hair. It's freshly dyed, the blonde paler than normal under the stage lights.

"Okay, quite the pacing and let's go find him. I can't handle the stress you're sending off, it's like when we watched Game of Thrones together for the first time and you started freaking out about Ned." He lets out a huff of air, hopping off the stage and helping me down. I can't necessarily jump and risk my skirt flying up and showing everyone my panties—even if they're a cute lacey blue color that matches my outfit nicely.

Nicky keeps a hold of my wrist, speed walking towards the front doors and shouldering them open for us to walk through, the crisp winter air making me regret my outfit choice even though it's toasty warm inside. "There he is," Nicky says, spotting Micah first and letting out a sigh.

"You see, I told you he was fine." Our relief didn't last long, however, when a car speeds around the corner without enough time to stop and sends Micah high up in the air before he crashes back down on the hard asphalt, the box of doughnuts he'd been carrying scattering everywhere. "Go to him and I'll get this prick!" Nicky wastes no time, running to the love of his life as I focus on the Ford and melt its tires, making the asphalt around it rise enough to wrap around the truck's rims to hold it in place further. "GET OUT HERE NOW!"

I use magic to rip the door from the frame and pull out the piece of trash inside, finding it to be none other than Mister Bryland. "I-I didn't see," the man stutters, shielding his face with his arms.

"You didn't see because you weren't driving the speed limit!" He tries to jerk out of the tight grasp I have on the front of his sweater, but I don't let go, only slamming his head against the asphalt. "You enjoy making people's lives hell and I'm tired of it! From now on, you'll understand what  _not seeing_ is really like." My voice had turned cold, the same eerie calmness Papa shows people who have pushed him too far. I cover the sobbing man's eyes with one of my hands, narrowing my eyes as my magic does its job.

He tries to jerk away from me again, screaming in agony even after I stand again and glare down at his squirming form. Red blisters have sprouted out around his eyes, the skin already bruising and his eyes moving wildly. He's blind now, and he should feel happy that I didn't just kill him like I really want to. If Micah ends up dying, then I'll hunt this bastard down and finish the job. "Please," he sobs again as a crowd gathers and ambulance sirens break into my focus," please."

"You will pay for  _everything_ that Micah needs and if something happens to him, you'll get the same, you little bitch!" I spin sharply away and sprint over to where EMT's are loading Micah's stretcher into the back of their ambulance, Nicky shaking and covered in his boyfriend's blood. "I'll heal what I can, Nicky." Other emotions were beginning to come back, my eyes tearing up as I wrap my arms around the larger man. "He's got us."

"I'm gonna ride with him to the hospital, could you pick me up some clothes and meet me there?"

"Sure thing, Nicky."

"It'll be okay, Micah," Nicky promises softly," I'm here for you." I watch him climb into the ambulance before it takes off, quickly wiping the tears away and pushing my way through the crowd towards Nicky's house.

* * *

 

"I came as soon as I heard," Dad says breathlessly, walking into the private room with Pan following behind him. "I knew those cars were nothing good."

"Did you learn that before or after you got her ran over," Pan asks sarcastically, peering past me into the room where Micah and Nicky are in. Micah's still unconscious, cleaned up and plugged up to several machines with Nicky sitting in the chair next to his bed with his head hung low as he prays to Allah for guidance. Dad sends a dark look in Pan's direction, wrapping me up in his arms in a much needed hug.

"And you're such a fine example of safety. Who was it that let an eleven year old shoot an apple off her head with a poison tipped arrow? Oh, that's right, it was you."

"Can you two be respectful for once in your lives," I ask in irritation, pulling back and glaring at the two men. They had the good sense to bow their heads and look ashamed. "Now, I promised to help look through census records, but I don't want to leave Nicky alone in there with only Micah and doctors for company, so one of you get the job of staying until I can get back."

"Sorry, Vee, I have a date with Emma tonight."

"That does explain the modern clothing—good job with that, by the way."

"Ruby picked the clothes out and I used that plastic card you gave me to pay for them." He shrugs, hands stuffed in his jeans pockets. Wait a second, how did he get his hook to fit in his pocket? I do a double take, staring at my father with my mouth hanging open when Dad holds both hands up with a grin. "You think Emma will be happy now that I have hands?"

"Uh…W-when did….Yes? I mean, yeah, she should be happy that you won't accidentally stab her with your hook."

"Go on, darling, I will stay here with Nicky while you go through those tedious volumes," Pan says, leaning in for a quick kiss before moving to occupy the other seat next to Micah's bed.

"Nicky, sweetie," I tell my friend softly," I'll have my phone on me if you want to talk or he wakes up. Don't be afraid to call at any time, I'll show up in my jammies if I have to." He nods without looking up as Dad ushers me out of the hospital. "Daddy, I'm scared. What….What if Micah doesn't wake up?"

"He will," Dad assures me quietly as we walk out of the hospital and down the street. "He's the adult you've looked up to since you were small and I'm willing to bet that you learned some of your stubbornness from him."

"Thanks."

"No need to thank me, sweetheart, it's a father's duty to comfort his daughter. Last time I checked, you're my daughter and you needed comforting." I give a pitiful laugh, nudging him with my shoulder. "There's the smile I was looking for."

"Okay, we need to stop at the flower shop before we head over to Snow's."

"What, why?"

"You expect to pick up your date without giving her anything? Are you stupid?" His eyes widen as he stares down at me, nodding his head and changing directions. After deciding on the proper flower—a red rose—and fixing my dad's jacket, I finally allow him to knock on the door to Snow's loft, giving him a thumbs up. "You got this, Daddy." Emma opens the door, more dressed up than I've ever seen her in a pale pink dress with her blonde hair up in a high ponytail. "I'm just gonna…." I squeeze into the room, letting those two have their moment as I join the others at the kitchen table.

"You look stunning, Swan," Dad greets, his eyes glued to Emma with genuine emotion in his eyes.

"You….Look," Emma starts, looking at a loss for words.

"I know. Now that I'm settling into this world, I finally thought it was time to dress the part." He takes a step into the loft, holding out the rose for Emma to take, the flower held in his returned hand.

"Wow, you really went all out." Emma laughs nervously, not yet noticing that hand that held the flower, but everyone else did.

"Emma," Snow says with shock. That's when Emma really takes a look, her eyes going wide.

"Is that…?"

"Mine," Dad asks with a smirk. "Yeah." Emma takes the rose as he stretches his fingers. "The Dark One kindly restored what he once took from me. It seems he has indeed changed his ways." I call bullshit—what dirt does Dad have on Papa?

"What do I call you now? Captain Hand?" The ice is beginning to fracture as they grow less awkward and I share an excited smile with Snow.

"Killian will do."

"Okay, Killian. We should get out of here before David decides to give you his overprotective-dad speech." David looks on smugly, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, save yourself the trouble, mate," Dad says, pointing in David's direction. "I assure you, your daughter couldn't be in better hands."

"That's exactly what worries me," David responds," especially now that you have two of them."

"I can take care of myself," Emma says with a look in her father's direction.

"You sure you don't want me to drive?"

"Goodbye." The couple walk out of the loft, shutting the door behind them and leaving me to smile at David's worried expression.

"Should I be even more worried than I am right now, Morgan?"

"Probably," I nod.

**Dark Castle**

Aveena runs through the castle, giggling with her arms outstretched to mimic flying. Trista was sick in bed and Rumple was waiting in his spinning room for someone to come seeking a deal, so Aveena was left with free roam and she was enjoying it immensely. Her dress billowed out behind her, not yet hindered by a corset, so she could breathe easily. Grinning, she runs towards the doorway of the spinning room, and straight for her papa. "You want to know," Rumple declares, catching the child easily," why your parents ventured into this strange land."

He sits the six year old down on the table, knowing that very few could look intimidating while holding a giggling little girl. "My sister thinks it was because of her," Anna explains with a sigh of relief, giving the little girl a friendly smile," but I know she's wrong." Aveena watches the woman curiously, swinging her legs back and forth in the air with a smile. "Hello, I'm Anna." Aveena doesn't say anything, knowing better than to give a stranger her name. "Can you help me?" Rumple moves a couple of steps closer to Anna while he begins to talk again.

"As it happens, your parents paid me a visit on their journey." He walks past Anna, turning on his heels a few feet away with a smile. "It would seem when one needs answers, I'm the place to go!" He keeps his tone happy and light, knowing the way to make Anna do what he wants is to manipulate her. Aveena giggles again, tugging on strands of her dark hair. It hung freely, Rumple unable to any of the intricate styles that Trista always did.

"What answers did they seek?"

"Well, I can't just tell you, Dearie. You see," he explains, walking another few feet before facing her again," aside from names, I also have a penchant for making deals."

"A deal? Sure, I'll make a deal. I'll do whatever it takes to help my sister." It's Rumple that giggles this time, the fingers of one hand moving to cover his mouth briefly.

"Whatever it takes? I  _love_ it when they say that." He reopens his hand, showing a tiny glass vile between his thumb and index finger for the woman to see. He moves to stand in front of the woman with a giddy smile. "At the foot of the Dark Mountains lives a very old man—prickly sort, probably eats children for breakfast." Aveena's shocked gasp alerts Rumple to the fact that he would have to explain the lie in a while. "I want you to put this in his tea." He holds the vile up on her eye-level.

"What will it do to him?"

"Sorry, Dearie. That's not part of our agreement. Oh, speaking of which…." He waves his hand with a flourish, the vile turning into a contract and quill. "….Our contract." He lays it out on the table beside Aveena, gesturing to it with the quill. "Sign here and I shall tell you why your parents came to see me. Do we have a deal?"

**Storybrooke**

I walk back into the private room, nodding towards the door when Pan looks up, he nods back and walks out, his sudden movement catching Nicky's attention. "Hey," I say with a small smile," why don't you run home and catch a few hours of sleep? I'll stay with Micah until you get back." He's been crying, tear tracks standing out against his tanned complexion.

"What if he wakes up and I'm not here," he asks, voice breaking near the end.

"Then I will FaceTime you and we'll work with that until you manage to get back here, but until then, Pan will walk you home and I will be here, reading to Micah, and hopefully annoying him until he feels the urge to wake up and smack me." He manages a tiny smile standing and giving me a hug. "Don't worry, sweetie, the doctor said the most serious injury was his appendix and leg."

"I know, just….If he wakes up before I get back, tell him I love him." I smile to let him know that I will, giving his hand a tight squeeze. After the door to the room closed and I saw Pan and Nicky walking away, I take a seat in the chair Nicky had occupied, taking one of Micah's hands in both of mine.

"Alright, Mike, I hope you don't mind my reading voice." I clear my throat, using one hand to open the book I'd brought with me. " _In a faraway land, where the sun scorches the fiery desert, there lies an ancient secret. It is a lamp, long forgotten and buried deep beneath the shifting sands. It is small and simple. It bears no fancy design and contains no precious jewels. To all but the wisest among us, it would appear dull and worthless. But this lamp is not what it seems. Long ago, it held the greatest power in all the lands of Arabia. Its magic changed forever the course of a young man's life. A young man who, like the lamp, was more than what he seemed. The tale begins on a dark night, where a dark man waits with a dark purpose_ …."


	62. Chapter 62

**Dark Castle**

"So you poured it in the tea," Rumple checks, the vile balanced between two fingers at eye level for him to stare at it. It's empty, but he knows the woman's kind well, she was lying, and poorly at that. Aveena sits on the floor beside his chair, the Holy Grail clutched in her hands.

"Just as you asked," Anna says with a little bounce, swaying to and fro as though the lie made it physically impossible for her to stay still.

"And he drank it?"

"Every last drop." He looks up at her now, gauging her reaction to what he was about to say.

"Good! Then he'll live." Aveena giggles at her papa's happy tone, smiling up at him in such a way that made the ice around Rumple's heart melt just a smidgen more. What is it about innocent little children that make even evil doers like himself putty in their tiny little hands?

"So, now can you tell me why my parents came—" She stops abruptly, his words finally sinking in and the guilt beginning to blossom. "Wait, what? What do you mean 'live'?"

"He'll live because he drank the antidote you gave him." The entire time he speaks, he fiddles with the empty vile, making sure it stayed in her line of sight. Oh yes, there it was, the tell-tale panic in those big eyes of hers. It was almost enough to make Rumple giggle, the pure joy he feels when the supposed heroes do something so terrible too much to pass up at times.

"Antidote? To what?"

"Uh, poison," Rumple says, his tone suggesting she should have figured that out by this point.

"I thought it  _was_ poison." That  _is_ enough to make Rumple laugh.

"No, the poison's what he drank yesterday." He'd sent Aveena to give it to him, the old man unable to resist her innocence nor the bottle of wine she appeared with. "What you had was the  _cure_ for that." She closes her eyes for a moment, allowing Rumple time to school his features into a disappointed mask.

"I didn't give it to him."

"Well, why not? We had a deal."

"We need more antidote. We have to go back to the cottage." She's gone into panic mode now and she moves over to the table looking ready to beg. He doesn't look down when he feels one of his daughter's arms wrapping around his leg, her head resting just above that as Anna's voice rises a little. "We have to  _help_ him." Rumple stands, pushing the small globe forward on the table to draw her gaze while he takes Aveena's hand in his.

"Well, I'm afraid it's far too late for that, Dearie." He waves his free hand over the globe, the glass orb showing Anna the effects of Rumple's poison. The apprentice looked as though he was choking, then doubling over, and finally succumbing to the potion as a black smoke swirls about him for a second before clearing away to reveal the mouse he's become. "You should have listened to me when you had the chance." She goes white, turning and running from the castle.

"Papa, are you going after her," Aveena asks, setting the Grail on the table and looking up at him with a crooked smile. "Can we use your magic?"

"You like my magic?"

"Yes, it's like a warm hug."

"Well then, how could I deny my little bird when she asks so sweetly?" She giggles, wrapping her arms around Rumple's waist as the tug of magic starts before sweeping them away and depositing them in the apprentice's cottage. "Careful not to step on it!" She spins to face him, her desperation reaching new levels.

"We have to find him," she says quickly," you have to change him back." Aveena stays half-behind him, peering out around the small room.

"Oh, but I can't, Dearie."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to. He was protecting something that I need." Realization replaces desperation, the woman looking at him in a new light.

"You were the one who poisoned him."

"Mm, technically, my daughter did. I merely provided the drink and sent her on her way."

"Then why did you send me here with the antidote if you wanted to turn him into a mouse?"

"It was never about  _him_. It was always about you."

"It was all a test?"

"And one you performed admirably. You see, he's but the first line of defense. And what he protects is also guarded by an enchantment—a spell that can only be broken by someone who has been tempted by their inner darkness and turned away from it—someone just like you." He turns his back to her, giving Aveena a wink and a grin. "I knew you wouldn't do it. I knew you'd see the best in the old man."

"I never faced my inner darkness."

" _What_?" Rumple faces her again, his anger bubbling to the surface. She's too smug for his liking, but he would get the better of her in the end.

"As soon as I met the old man, I knew what I had to do. I could never hurt someone to get what I want. Elsa wouldn't want me to. So I was never even tempted by that inner darkness that you speak of." He rambling was beginning to gnaw at what few nerves he had left—which weren't very many considering he was raising a little girl. "In fact, I don't even think I have one. I'm, unlike you, nice." He forces a smile on his face.

"Well, then, Dearie, I hope you're gonna enjoy spending the rest of your life locked up in my tower." Ah yes, the smugness is gone now and he snaps his hand forward, the contract appearing in front of her. "It was part of our deal."

"But I have to get back to Elsa."

"Then you should never have left home in the first place. Imagine the guilt she will feel when you don't return home from your journey—a journey you only took because of her. She will finally become that monster everyone fears she is." He gives a mocking gasp, catching Aveena's innocent smile. "I suppose the wedding's off." He walks past her, gently pushing Aveena ahead of him until he hears the sound of metal scraping against rock.

"No!" He turns to look at the woman, faking a scared demeanor, his gaze moving to the sword she held expertly and pointed at his chest. "Rip it up. Rip up the contract now!"

"Well, I can't do that, Dearie. No, I'm afraid the only way for you to escape your fate is by killing me. And we both know you're just….Too….Nice. I mean, can you really kill me in front of my daughter?" Aveena gives a dramatic gasp, falling onto her backside and scrambling backwards as he'd taught her to do if he was ever put in the position. He knew without looking at her that her expression was nothing short of horrified. "Do it." The point of the sword is pressed against his chest and he knew that, if she went through with it, the sword would go through his blackened heart as easily as a hot knife through butter. Her expression in a determined one, the darkness in her eyes making him want to leap with joy. "Go on. Right through me. Do it." She twists the sword against him. "Do it. Do it! Do it! Do it!"

With a whimper, she drops the word and backs away quickly as he knew she would. "Papa," Aveena shouts, launching herself at Rumple and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

"You may never have considered dosing the old man…." He moves towards her, bending at the waist with his dagger out and a predatory grin on his face. "….But you just thought about killing me." He catches the tear rolling down her face with his dagger, the salty drop soaking into the metal. He straightens up, brandishing the dagger proudly. "And now I have exactly what I need—the tear of someone who has faced their inner darkness and turned away." She looks up at him ashamedly. "The love for your sister was all I needed."

"I should have known," she says, voice shaky from crying. "I should have known the moment I met you—you're a monster. You take the most precious thing in this world—love—and turn it into a weapon." The anger inside him was rising up again, a jealous rage that he could never quite bury.

"Love  _is_ a weapon, Dearie. Always has been. It's just…." He moves away from her, waving his dagger and forcing two doors hidden under straw to slam open. "….So few people know how to wield it." He walks down the stairs, Aveena following dutifully behind him without a word. The room hidden beneath the cottage was huge and damp, made of stones that seemed to draw in moisture. With a flick of the wrist, torches set into the walls are burning brightly and giving off some warmth. He and the child move to stand on the dais in the center of the room, a pedestal raised up in the center, and a small round object set on the center on it.

It's a simple looking object, the outside made of gold yet shaped to look like wood while the very top was made of dark sapphire and made to look like the raging waters of the sea with stars painted on it—it's exactly how he thought it would look. He waves the dagger over it, watching in anticipation as the object turned into a hat of sorts with a galaxy trapped within it.

**Storybrooke**

" _Like a rocket, the genie launched himself into the sky. The Sultan followed him with his eyes until the genie disappeared over the horizon. Aladdin and Jasmine didn't even notice him leave. As they shared a long, dreamy kiss, they didn't notice much of anything—except each other_ ," I finish, closing the book with a sigh. "Alright, Micah, I've got to go, but I'll see you tomorrow." I stand, placing a kiss on his forehead and giving Nicky a hug before using my magic to whisk me away to the pawn shop.

"How's Mister Blaine doing," Papa asks, looking up from the cash register.

"Um," I sigh, leaning against the counter with my face buried in my arms," his appendix was yanked out since it had ruptured, his knee was shattered, and he's black and blue. He's still not awake, but Pan said he'd stay with Nicky at the hospital to heal the best he can with what little magic he has left." I shrug, feeling tired and just drained. I never notice Papa moving until he wraps and arm around my shoulder and moves me to sit in the chair behind the counter.

**Dark Castle**

Rumple walks back up the stairs into the cottage, the box in one hand with the other clutching the dagger. Aveena follows behind him, clutching the back of Rumple's coat in both hands. Anna is still seated on the floor, her knees drawn up to her chest. He closes the doors with magic again, Anna standing slowly and giving him an apprehensive look. "I helped you get what you want," she reminds him. "So give me what you promised. Tell me about my parents."

"Well, Dearie," Rumple states," the King and Queen of Arendelle landed on my doorstep with an itsy-bitsy problem—your sister." He steps closer to her, loving how much he intimidated the girl. "They wanted something to take her powers away forever."

"My parents loved Elsa."

"Sounded more to me like they feared her. It's a thin line and oh so easy to cross. You must have known." He continues to move, forcing her to turn in order to keep him in her site and continue to back away. "They always wished she had been a bit more….Normal."

"Did they find what they were looking for?"

"I'm afraid not. No one could lay their hands on  _that_ kind of magic…." He raises the box. "Until now."

"So that's what the box does."

"Not the box, what's inside—a hat, crafted a thousand years ago by a sorcerer for one purpose—to steal magical power—and guarded all these years by his apprentice."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"When the hat has collected all its ill-gotten power and it fully charged, I will be unstoppable."

"I though the Dark One was already unstoppable."

"There are limits, however small." He has her backed up against the wall now, the glee he feels building up inside him now that he finally has what he needs to break the dagger's hold on him.

"No, you can't. That mouse—that apprentice—he dedicated his life to keeping it out of the hands of people like you."

"Too bad he's not here to stop me."

"What if he is?" She's smug again and Rumple was growing tired of that expression being on someone else's face when he has the upper hand. She looks up with a smile, Rumple's brow creasing in frustration and confusion. What about the ceiling could possibly give this woman so much hope? He follows her gaze up to the rafters, spotting the damn mouse right before it leapt down and bit into the flesh of Rumple's hand. He lets out a pained shout, forced to drop the dagger in order to shake the filthy animal off. Aveena screams, jumping up in a chair and clutching the back of it as Rumple lunged for Anna a second too late. She holds up the dagger with both hands. "Don't come any closer!" The magic of it forces him to take a couple of steps back. "Wait, you're not coming any close just because I told you not to?" He says nothing, shaking his sore hand again with a sneer. "I get it. As long as I have this wavy knife, you have to do as I say, don't you?"

"Yes," he answer reluctantly. "That's how it works."

"Is that one of the limits you spoke of? Is that why you want the hat—to free yourself from the control of this dagger? Answer me."

"To be free of the control and to keep my power. Yes." He picks his daughter up, holding her close in an attempt to stop her crying.

"Yeah, I can't let you walk out of here with something like that. So, please, give me the box." He tries to resist until it was made impossible by the pull of the dagger, handing her the box.

"Remember, Dearie, you can't keep hold of that dagger forever, and you don't want to be on the other end of it when I get it back."

"Then I command you send me and this box home to Arendelle."

"If I must."

"Wait. And, also, you can never hurt me or my sister. And you have to turn the mouse back into a man." He can feel the side of his mouth twitching in anger, the dagger the only thing keeping Rumple from wrenching this woman's head off her miserable shoulders. Well, the dagger and the fact that Aveena had his neck in a chokehold. "Okay. Now I'm ready."

He waves a hand, a dark red could of magic springing up in front of her and sending her back to where she came from, the dagger clattering to the floor. He picks it up, being sure to send Aveena outside before he let out a scream of pure rage.

**Storybrooke**

I wake up when I hear the bell above the shop door jingle, taking a minute to try and look presentable. The number one rule in Papa's shop when you're working is to dress nicely and for me that means the cream colored skirt and black peasant blouse that I have on, plus heels. I remove my shoes, still in the dizzy half-awake stage that made walking in heels a treacherous task. With one last look in the mirror to make sure my hair didn't look too bad, I start towards the front room, only to stop at the curtain, hearing the familiar voices of Dad and Papa.

"Okay," I hear Dad state," we're done. I've fulfilled our deal, now take it off." I peek past the curtain, seeing that Dad was holding up his new hand. With a wave of his hand, Papa's magic transfers Dad's hand into the jar of liquid on the counter and the silver hook back in place in the holder that covers Dad's stump.

"Our deal actually  _isn't_ complete," Papa informs him.

"I say it is." How did Papa manipulate Dad into doing something and what is that something Dad was manipulated to do? "You can no longer control me, mate. I just saw you use the real dagger, so I know you're lying to Belle." Oh great, maybe we should just announce it that Belle has a fake dagger and be done with this. "You've got nothing on me." Dad smiles, looking smugger than any one person has a right to. Papa holds up a finger in a hang on gesture before picking up a VHS tape.

"Security tape from the house we just left." He sets it down on the counter in front of Dad. "How do you think Miss Swan and Morgan are going to react when they find out what you did to that kindly old man?"

"I know how that device works and if I'm on there, so are you." Papa waves a hand over it, the faint whoosh of magic making me shiver.

"And now I'm not. But you are."

"I only did what you asked so I could rid myself of that cursed hand. So I could become a better man. Emma and  _my_ daughter will understand that."

"Even when they find out the truth?"

"What truth?" My question exactly. Has Daddy been running some kind of scheme behind my back?

"This hand isn't cursed." Dad's minuscule smile is completely wiped away now as he stares at Papa in shock.

"No, you said—"

"You were right," Papa chuckles coldly," Dark One lies, Dark One tricks. This hand is nothing but a lump of flesh. The only thing it did was give you permission, permission to be the man you really are—not some puppy dog chasing after the object of his obsession, but a ruthless pirate who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. I did you a favor. I helped you remember the darkness that lies beneath."

"Then you know that that darkness will have no problem crushing Belle's heart and taking my daughter away from you." I let out a quiet gasp, one hand moving to cover my mouth. No, I just got them back to cooperating with each other, and they can't screw this up now!

"If you go after my family, you will lose the woman you love. You threatened my marriage, tried to destroy the only light in my life and for that, you will owe me as long as you live."

"What if I'm willing to take you down with me?"

"I think that I know you better than you know yourself, Dearie." I watch as Papa moves around the counter to face Dad without anything between them. "So here we are, Captain, still in business together. I think you and I are gonna have some fun." Dad storms out of the shop and I quickly move back to the desk in the backroom when Papa begins to turn, lying my head on my arms on the desk and feigning sleep.

**Dark Castle**

Pan watches on as Mozenrath writhes on the floor, no one in the room knowing what to do and his lover beginning to shout for Rumpelstiltskin to do something about it. Rumple looked undisturbed, seated in the chair at the head of the table and fiddling with ingredients to see if he had the ones necessary to help the seizure pass without doing more damage. It wasn't taking Mozenrath's immortality that was sending the boy into the fits, but the Gauntlet fighting to regain complete control.

The magical artifact was bound to him tightly, feasting on flesh and muscle all the way up to the man's shoulder. The second Mozenrath slipped the glove on, he signed away part of his soul and no one could save the boy now. Well, no one apart from himself. Pan smirks, floating along to the next window as Aveena flees the room. He moves in front of her, forcing the teen to stop. "You," she gasps, wiping tears off her face and taking a step back.

"Me," Pan grins, leaning casually against the wall and looking her over. "Your friend in there seems to be in trouble."

"That's none of your business!"

"Not even if I can help?" He pulls a square of chocolate out of thin air, holding it up between two fingers. "Do you know what this is, darling?"

"Chocolate." Her demeanor has changed quickly, mirroring the man that had raised her—changing from utter sadness to snide arrogance in two seconds flat. Pan waves a hand over the small square, the dark chocolate glowing golden for a second before returning to its natural coloring.

"And now it's enchanted chocolate—just the thing Mozenrath needs to survive this ordeal." She moves faster than Pan had thought she could, grabbing for the chocolate only to find herself pinned against the wall with the fingers of one hand wrapped around Pan's wrist and the other trapped against her side as Pan presses closer to her.

"What's the price?"

"It's not yours to pay. I will take it from Mozenrath when I need it, and I need him to survive." After a second longer of debating whether or not to tempt fate and kiss her, Pan takes a step back and presses the chocolate into her hand. "Run along now, darling, he doesn't have much longer to live." She stares at him for a moment before turning and running back the way she came.

**Storybrooke**

Micah groans a little, the pain medication trickling into him through an IV making him want to close his eyes and drift off again, but as much as he loves dreams of a topless Nicky dancing, he's certain that the real Nicky was missing his company. Forcefully, Micah opens his eyes and looks around in slight confusion. Fighting through a drug haze, he blinks a couple of times to bring the room into focus, realizing that annoying beeping sound belonged to the heart monitor he was hooked up to. What in God's name is going on?

He could do little more than move his head and moan, the room growing fuzzy again even as he fought it off. He looks down at his arm, following the small, clear tube protruding from it to the IV bag hanging on a stand beside his bed, dripping fluids and who knows what else into his blood stream. Going cross-eyed, he looks down to see what's stuck in his nose, finding one of those oxygen things you see in those doctor shows when the patient needs help breathing. "Mmm," he moans softly, making a face.

The blankets are itchy and the pillow doesn't support his head enough for him to really look around him; he smelled an under layer of old feet and heard distant chatter that just wouldn't stop. Yup, this is a hospital all right, but where is his boyfriend with all the pity Micah wanted at the moment? "About time you decided to wake up," an unfamiliar voice states. Micah turns his head in the other direction, finding none other than Peter Pan standing beside the bed. "I have a job for you when you get out of here, think of it as payment for saving your life back in your other life."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't remember, do you?"

"If I did, would I be asking you, you demented piece of trash?" Pan snorts, throwing the book he held down on the bed by Micah's hand and walking to the door, pausing there and sending Micah a look over his shoulder.

"Read that over and see if anything jumps out at you." Micah was confused, what does  _Aladdin_ have to do with anything?


	63. Chapter 63

**Dark Castle**

Mozenrath rises slowly from his spot on the ground, the bitter tang of chocolate in his mouth enough to make him nauseous. That combined with the aftertaste of a powerful enchantment had him wondering where the spell had come from since Aveena was not yet powerful enough to have made it on her own. "Thank you," he says breathlessly, leaning heavily on Aladdin as pain spread through his body after the violent seizures.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense," Rumple grins, standing and walking around the two men to reach his daughter. "Take it off and let me see if my spell truly worked!" Mozenrath knew what he was talking about, what he wanted to see. Wincing, Mozenrath sinks down into a chair, using his ungloved hand to remove the Gauntlet and revealing the pearly white bone underneath. Only a bit of ligament and magic kept the bones in place, the flesh and muscle gone all the way up until his right shoulder. "Ohh, truly gruesome, Moze. You should take care of that."

"I will heal it when I return back to my citadel."

"Please," Aladdin says, stepping forward," let us stay here for the night and we'll leave with the sunrise. Mozenrath won't be able to make it through the journey after what he just went through and I'm sure you'd be angry if he died instead of letting you collect on your debt."

"Of course you can stay," Aveena speaks up before Rumple could say otherwise," I'll tell Trista to ready one of the guest rooms." She gives the two men a kind smile.

As everyone retires to their separate rooms for the night, Pan sneaks back into the castle, casting a quick forgetting spell on the occupants—not erasing Mozenrath's memory of being cut free of the Gauntlet, but of Aveena showing up with the life-saving chocolate. As far as everyone in this castle knows, Mozenrath and Aladdin never came here and Rumple wouldn't get suspicious of Aveena's last minute help.

With an extra ounce of magic, he transports Aladdin and Mozenrath back to the Land of the Black Sands, Mozenrath's domain. He would need Mozenrath's help later on and he needed the man to think that it was Pan that helped him break the Gauntlet's hold, not Rumpelstiltskin. He would need the Nevergem if he ever wanted to roam freely through the realms for longer than a few days. He needed to escape Felix once and for all.

**Storybrooke**

"Please," I continue to whine as I follow Dad into the police station," please, please, please!" Dad ignores me skillfully, walking into the main part of the station with a box of files in his hands that looks as heavy as the one he has me lugging in. "Why can't I get one when you have one? It's not fair!"

"Paperwork ahoy," he calls out, holding his box up for Emma and Elsa to see easily. "Old city records from the mayor's office, as per your request." We set the boxes down on Elsa's desk, the British dude in a jail cell crying out about breakfast obnoxiously.

"Yeah, and parental betrayal. Tell Dad to just give in and give me what I want, Emma."

"What exactly do you want," Emma asks, walking back over to her desk from the cell. "I mean, it has to be pretty big for both of your dads' to say no to."

"A tattoo, not a big one either!"

"Wait," Dad says, holding up a hand," Gold said you couldn't get a tattoo?" I nod, seeing the same spark of rebellion in his eyes that are in mine every time someone says I can't do something. "Well, that settles it then, you'll get a tattoo after your rehearsal. I'll take you myself and you can get a full mural across your back, if that's what you want, though I wouldn't recommend it." I grin, standing on my tip-toes to give him a hug.

"Thank you, Daddy! You're my favorite!"

"Yes, until Gold lets you do something I said no to."

"He already has, how do you think I was able to go out with Pan?" Dad winces, shaking his head a little in a disapproving gesture. I continue to smile despite the look he gives me, practically bouncing in giddiness. It's official, I'm getting a tattoo and it's going to look great! I'm going to get the Dark Mark tattooed in black on my inner left forearm, but it's going to be smaller than described in the books and movies, not wanting it to stand out too much.

"Well, I'm off to take Henry sailing, love," Dad sighs, walking over to Emma," unless there's something else you want me to do here." They stand really close together, like PDA kind of close, and the guy leaning against the bars looks like he's figured out some mind-blowing puzzle.

"Just make sure he wears his life jacket," Emma responds in a low voice with a smile.

"Befriending the son," the British guys says knowingly," to get in with the mum. Yep, no one will ever see through that. I guess it's a mutual thing since that kid over there was trying to get the Sheriff here to change your mind." Dad faces the guy, taking an intimidating step forward.

"Why don't you keep your thoughts to yourself, mate," he says with a stern  _don't fuck with me_ attitude. They stare each other down for a moment and I half expected a western theme to begin at any time while they drew pistols, but Dad turned his back on the guy, gave Emma a kiss on the cheek, and ushered me out of the station. "Come on, beautiful, let's get you to the theater. You have important decisions to make today, right?"

"I'm not the one making them," I remind him," I'm just announcing Micah's decision while he finishes up his stay in the hospital. He wants me to announce who our Mrs. Lovett is going to be and then leave the play rehearsal to Mrs. Bryland to direct."

"What happened to Mister Bryland?"

"He's in the dark," I respond with a smirk as we walk outside in the crisp mid-morning air. My outfit made no sense to most people walking around, but the theater is too warm to wear layers in and I always bring a spare outfit to change into before I rejoin normal society. Outside the theater, I give Dad another hug. "Alright, I'll see you in a few hours."

"Be good, Vee. I love you." He kisses the top of my head before walking back down the street, the way we'd come earlier towards the docks. Smiling, I push the doors open and enter the theater, walking in past the stall where people would pay and into the actual theater part where the stage and chairs were. Mrs. Bryland is already seated at the folding table near the stage, her hair done up in a tight headache-inducing bun.

"Have you got Micah's choice," she asks sourly, going through some paperwork for her divorce.

"Yep." I nod, sitting a seat away from her and propping my feet up on the table. "Alright, I want all the Lovett tryouts on the stage pronto!" The teens and women do as I say, lining up on the stage with anxious looks and crossed fingers. "Micah's made his decision and Nicky made sure I knew who to choose since he's staying with Micah at the hospital. The more compassionate of the two wants me to tell you that you've all done brilliantly, but only one of you can be the crazy cannibal we all know and love." I pause, picking out the face of the woman that would be the leading lady.

"Our cast is as follows," Bryland calls out, glasses perched on the edge of her nose. "Our Sweeney Todd is Samuel Carmichael, Anthony is Nathaniel Williams, Turpin is Eric Grace, Johanna is Bridgett Marks, and I'll let Morgan here introduce our Lovett."

"Camille Bennett, whoever the hell you are, it's your lucky day." I let the girls/women let out their squeals and protests before raising my voice to be heard over the noise. "Bennett, go with the wardrobe team to vintage stores around town and find the crap to make up your outfit, the rest of you can go home, because we have no need of extras."

**Pan**

With an extra skip in his step, Pan walks through the lazy town towards the hospital where his new, albeit reluctant, ally waited for him. He knew his spell all those years ago would still be working and it would be easy to convince Micah that it was himself that saved Micah in their previous world. A few choice phrases and a direct quote should suffice in the long run, and of course, good old fashioned death threats.

He would need help from someone that used to study magical artifacts to find what he's looking for, someone who has seen pictures of it and researched it well enough that they would know where to look. The Nevergem is here somewhere, Pan is certain of that. Felix brought it to this world when Pan first began to rebel against his control, hiding it in the realm without magic so that Pan would have fewer ways to resist the Alp's harsh persuasion.

No matter, Felix is dead and gone, and Pan's future was just out of reach. Morgan should be busy these next few weeks with that stupid play she's a part of, so he wouldn't have to worry about her putting her nose where it doesn't belong. He loves her, as well as he can at this point, and he doesn't want to hurt her, but he will if it comes to that. With the Nevergem, he's power would rebuild and he would stand a chance against Rumple.

He walks into Micah's room, glad to find that Nicky wasn't around to pester him. "Good afternoon, Micah," Pan greets, sitting in the unoccupied chair at Micah's bedside. The book he dropped off yesterday was laying on the tray beside the Sweeney Todd script and a half-eaten bagel. "I trust you enjoyed my little present?" Micah gives him a hard look, hazel eyes going cold like they always used to be before he fell for the little streetrat.

"What do you want from me, Pan," he demands, sitting up straighter in bed.

"How much do you remember?"

"About my old life? Everything, or most of it, anyways. Why do you care, Pan?" Pan smiles, standing and hovering his hand over the man's shattered kneecap. The magic he has inside him is reluctant to come to the surface, but it does after a moment and Micah's knee is partially healed.

"When your healing is complete, you will pay me the price of me taking your immortality and Gauntlet away." He pats Micah's' shoulder supportively. "Get some rest, Necromancer, you're going to need it before I'm finished with you."

**Morgan**

I make myself comfortable on Micah's hospital bed, the raised plastic side of it digging into my arm until Micah scoots over a fraction. "I told you this wouldn't be comfortable," I state matter-of-factly. "I said that we would just begin to argue over who's going to get up first instead of focusing on what needs to be done."

"Shut up, Morgan and tell me what's going on in the outside world," Micah grumbles, snatching the revised script out of my hands.

"Well, we had to tweak the songs to match Bennett's singing voice since she doesn't seem able to adjust her pitch very well."

"That's fine, we can work on that if we use her for some other play." He flips through the pages of the script, brows almost touching as he furrows his brow and continues to skim. "What's wrong with this line, it's a direct quote from the movie we're basing it all on."

"Bryland said that she wanted to paraphrase most of it instead of relying so heavily on the movie dialogue. She'll have another version printed up tomorrow for you to go over."

"How'd the first practice go?"

"A few fumbles, mostly Carmichael trying to get the razors to open, but everything else went pretty smoothly. The extras had everything down after all the times you made them redo stuff, and our Anthony and Johanna have started to date, so chemistry between those two won't need to be faked so desperately. Um…." I rack my brain, trying to think of anything else he needed to know about. "I'm going to record everything tomorrow morning, so you can watch afterwards and we'll go from there."

"Sound good." The script lays open on his lap as he stares ahead at nothing, looking confused and unsure about something. "Do you remember who I was in the other world?" That question catches me off guard, and I have to think hard before I answer him.

"I don't know, so many people came through my life before the curse that I can't keep track. Maybe I did at some point, maybe Papa helped you with something or you helped him? Who knows anymore, all these curses have made my memory an unreliable thing at best." I shrug, resting my head against his shoulder. "All I really know is that we're friends now and I like being friends with someone who doesn't use me."

"What about Pan?"

"Huh?"

"How well do you know your boyfriend, Morgan?"

* * *

I lean against the kitchen counter, pulling out a Hershey's bar while I wait on Dad to show up and walk me to the tattoo parlor. Micah's question still has me uneasy, only making me question how much I do know about Pan. I've known him for a year and a half, part of which was spent as his hostage in another realm, and I still only know a handful about him while he learns more about me every damn day. I tear the wrapper open, breaking off a square of the cookies 'n' cream bar before popping it in my mouth.

The sweet flavor has me almost dizzy, the room seeming to shift beneath me until I'm forced to sit or fall. What the hell was that about? A sudden feeling of nausea hits and I barely make it to the trash can before getting sick, the heaving making my shoulders ache. I continue puking until there's nothing left, lying limply on the cool wood floor in a cold sweat. Strange, distorted memories were whirring past, almost like a movie in fast forward.

Everything moving too fast for me to keep up with or going fuzzy just as I was beginning to understand them. " _Do you know what this is, darling,"_ Pan's voice inquired in one section of the memories, the sweet aftertaste of the chocolate bar mixing with the taste of bile and creating something sour. " _Do you know what this is, darling? Chocolate. Enchanted chocolate. All magic comes with a price!"_ Everything seemed to run together, the voices changing and morphing into other people's voices.

And then my eyes were closing and the memories began to slow and come back into focus.

**Micah**

The day seemed to drag on until the moon finally hung high in the sky, its gentle glow invading Micah's hospital room and the book that lay opened in his lap. He could remember everything now of his old life, the block washed away in a storm of memories that hit him hard and fast. Now he was left wondering if Nicky could remember anything, though he'd put his bet on not because Nicky'd read through the book and didn't make any connections to his past.

He didn't even recognize the woman he'd once loved, just commented that she was pretty and continued to flip through. He stares down at the page, a surge of envy that the book didn't mention himself, it focused on Aladdin and Jasmine and that irrefutably irritating villain that carried a stupid snake cane everywhere. He shakes his head, throwing the book across the room with a grunt. Nicky went home a few hours ago after a lot of prodding from Micah and now he regretted that as Pan walks inside for the next healing.

"Have I come at a bad time," he questions with raised brows, picking the book up and dusting it off.

"Not at all, your presence makes everything better," Micah remarks, the bitter sarcasm in his voice hard to miss. "Get this over with, Pan, and then get out before I begin screaming that your hand went a little too close to my personal zone." Pan snorts tossing the book down in the chair Nicky usually occupies before seating himself on the edge of Micah's bed beside his leg. Pan hovers his hand over the sore limb, letting his magic sink in and create an unpleasant warmth spread into the bone.

"I told you earlier that you would be helping me by paying off your debt…."

"Yeah, something like that, I guess."

"Have you researched a crystal, Blaine? It's the size of a newborn's fist and a strange black color that you can partially see through. It hangs off a bronze chain and is cut into an oval shape." Micah knows immediately what Pan is describing, remembering how long he spent staring at the picture of the crystal while still an apprentice under Destane.

"Why do you want that?" The warmth of magic vanishes when Pan pulls away, his grin promising nothing good to come.

"I want to regain my full potential of magic and to do that I need the Nevergem. It's somewhere here in Storybrooke and you're going to help me find it, but I don't want anyone else to know until I'm ready to tell them. Do you understand, Blaine? If you let anything slip, I'll waste no time in crushing your boyfriend's heart."

"I understand, now get the hell out."


	64. Chapter 64

“Have you seen my phone,” I ask no one in particular as I walk into the front room of the shop,” I need it today so I can record the rehearsal for Micah to look over.” Papa looks up from what he’s doing, shaking his head.

“Last I saw, it was in your backpack,” he shrugs. Picking up a weird round thing and stuffing it in his safe. “Maybe you should slow down a little, Morgan, you look frazzled and your hair is all over the place.”

“I’m running late.” With a quick use of magic, I organize my appearance, hair tucked neatly into a French braid. “I don’t have time to take a break since our deadline is coming up fast and we just now cast our leading people!” I rush past Papa to my Lilo and Stitch backpack, opening it and rummaging around in it until I find my phone. I have an extra set of clothes in there for later, plus the script Micah finished last night and my iPod that held the Sweeney Todd soundtrack on it that needed to be edited to remove the voices from it for opening night.

Papa places his hands on my shoulders, making me stop moving for a moment as he looks me over. “You’re going to make yourself sick if you keep going like this.”

“So I get sick, Whale will have a reason to talk to someone that shares his weird sense of humor.” I try to move again only to have Papa tighten his hold on me. “Papa, I really don’t have time to stand around here and debate my well-being. What does it matter anyway, don’t you need to go bond with Dad or whatever it is you two are doing together?” That catches him by surprise, the corners of his mouth twitching down in a frown.

“Sweetheart—“ And in that moment I knew I was completely screwed, his eyes darkening in anger and making me afraid. He had moved to grip my hands and in doing so, he spotted the bandage covering my right wrist. “Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.”

“It’s not what you think it is?” It came out as a question, only dooming me further at the pathetic attempt at a lie. The other rule in the shop is that, if you’re going to lie, do it well enough that Papa will at least respect the attempt.

“Morgan Elizabeth Gold, you are grounded until I say otherwise! I specifically told you not to get a tattoo and you do it anyway! Who even took you? You need a parent’s permission….” His eyes narrow slightly, his next words coming out more as a growl. “Hook.” I tug my arms out of his grasp, taking a step back and grabbing my backpack. “Oh no, you’re not leaving the shop, get back over here.” With my head bowed, I move back over to him, knowing my punishment would be bad since I went behind his back to the man he hates most in Storybrooke.

“I’m sorry, Papa.” I look up at him, feeling the guilt gnawing at me and only increasing my stomach ache. He opens his mouth, ready to commence his pre-punishment speech when Belle walks in with a smile that quickly fades away.

“What’s going on,” she asks, moving to stand between Papa and me and wrapping a protective arm around my shoulders. “Why are you yelling at her when she’s already got enough to be stressed about?”

“She got a tattoo when I specifically told her she wasn’t allowed to,” Papa informs her with a stern look sent my way.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“What’s…?” He looks genuinely shocked that Belle found nothing wrong with my treason. “What’s  _wrong_  with that? What’s wrong is that she disobeyed me and didn’t even care enough to avoid getting caught!”

“After what she’s gone through, I think she’s earned the right to do one thing without other people’s permission or judgment, Rumple. And besides, she’s technically an adult in about….” She glances down at the watch on her wrist, tilting her head to the side. “Well, a few hours, really. Tomorrow night at nine she turns eighteen and she’ll be a big girl, and she can get as many tattoos as she wants. Plus, she probably wanted one because Hook has one.” Belle shrugs, resting her cheek on my head since she’s taller than me especially in heels. “Now, apologize for making her later than she already is.”

“I’m….Sorry.”

“And you get to apologize for doing this behind Rumple’s back.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumble, gripping my backpack tighter. “You don’t have to worry, Papa, this one hurt bad enough, so I don’t want another.”

“Can we see what made your papa almost have a heart attack?” I grin a little, pulling the bandage back carefully to reveal the tiny blue Stitch tattooed on the inside of my wrist with  _Ohana_ tattooed beside it in pale purple. Papa smiles at it, no longer looking quite so angry with me. “What, now you’re all smiles? What does it mean?”

“Ohana means family,” I recite with my own small smile,” and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

“It’s the first movie in this world that we watched together,” Papa adds, allowing me to recover the tattoo. “Alright, go on to rehearsal, I don’t need Nicky breaking my door down and dragging you out.”

“I really am sorry, Papa.”

“I know, dear.” With one last smile at the couple, I make my way outside and to my job of director’s assistant—also known as the only person in the entire theater, including Nicky, that Micah trusts not to screw up his coffee and take charge when need be. Nicky’s too soft-hearted to be hard on our actors and Bryland hates life in general, so he trusts me to remain neutral throughout it all.

**Gold**

“You can show yourself, Dearie,” Gold calls out, hands clasped behind his back as Ingrid’s presence makes itself known. He really was beginning to grow tired of these meetings in the woods, the stench never left his suits and he always brought bits of moss and leaves back to his house without realizing until it’s too late. “I’m not the one you’re hiding from.”

“No,” Ingrid finally speaks, her voice coming from his left,” you’re not.” He smiles slightly, forcing a good mood and unaffected attitude. He doesn’t turn to face her, just looking at her out of his peripheral vision. “To what do I owe this intrusion?”

“A warning. Emma Swan is onto you.” Ingrid keeps smiling as well, leaning against a tree as Gold begins to pace. “She knows your history began long before you came to Storybrooke.”

“I’m aware.” She moves from her spot, beginning to walk. “Do you really think she would have discovered that if I hadn’t wanted her to?” She’s unafraid—either too confident in her so-called plan or just plain stupid to doubt the Savior. “It’s all part of my plan—a plan you thankfully know little about.”

“You’re being awfully secretive.”

“You didn’t come to warn me.” She continues walking, moving past him as he stands still in the center of the clearing. “You came to find out my secrets.”

“Or offer up a deal.” He turns, keeping her in his line of sight. “Whatever suits you best, but if you decline, I’d be careful.” He faces front again, not worried about a woman that can only control ice magic. What’s she going to do, order a snowman to step on him?

“There it is. There’s the warning.” She stops just behind him on his left and he can feel the heat coming off her. “You want something from me? Why don’t you just ask for it?”

“If I wanted something out of you, Dearie, believe me, I’d take it.” His false attitude was beginning to slip to show his frustration underneath. He’s so close to his goal and he won’t let some ice queen stop him from achieving it.

“But you can’t, can you? Otherwise you would. You and I both know—to get what you want, you need one thing that I have and you are sorely lacking—leverage.” He faces her again, staring her down and silently daring her to continue pushing his buttons. He won’t take much more from this woman, he will kill her if she doesn’t stop these foolish games. “And until you get that….I have a warning for you. Stay out of my way.”

**Micah**

Pan pushes the front door of Gold’s house open, moving inside without any hint of fear of being caught. Micah’s never been in here, always meeting Morgan either at the shop, the theater, or some other public place. Inside looks as antique as the outside, filled with a mix of old and modern furnishings—the house seeming too tidy for Morgan to live here. “Are you sure it’s in Storybrooke,” he asks, making his way into the living room while Pan heads into the kitchen.

“I’m sure,” he responds,” it’s part of Neverland and I can sense it’s magic, though it seems to grow fainter everyday as I grow weaker.” Micah lets out a sigh, lifting and replacing couch cushions and magazines. The coffee table in front of the couch is littered with teen magazines and several different novels, the small bit of controlled chaos letting him know that this is the room Morgan spends a lot of time in.

He moves over to the shelves lining the walls on either side of the TV, the shelves on the right side filled with different movies. He runs his hands across the titles, finding no gaps large enough to suggest the pendant was stashed there. He moves to the left bookcase, repeating the same process until he comes across the well-worn copy of  _The Hobbit_. This is the book that Micah found the day he ran into Morgan in this world, leading to the both of them arguing over it. It was the only copy left in the bookstore and both of them were determined to have it for themselves.

It ended with them splitting the fee of it and sharing it—she would keep it for two weeks and then it would go to him for two weeks until the new shipment arrived. By that time, though, Micah and Morgan had grown close and didn’t mind sharing it just to talk with each other about other books and topics.

He smiles, walking across the hall to the small storage closet settled just under the staircase. Inside is extra blankets and pillows stacked on shelves against the far wall with a broom and mop leaning against the right wall and the vacuum situated in the middle. He feels around in the blankets and pillows, coming away with only dust bunnies to show for his work. Wherever this pendant is, he doubts that Gold would keep it in his own house if he had it. “Have you found it?” He closes the closet door, joining Pan in the downstairs guest bedroom.

“No,” Pan sighs, remaking the bed the way it had been before Pan had messed it up. “Rehearsals will be over soon and I don’t need my girlfriend becoming suspicious.”

“Why do you care, she’s just a girl to you.” Pan furrows his brow, staring at Micah like the Necromancer had said some complicated science equation he could understand.

“Contrary to popular belief, I do love Morgan. If I didn’t I would have killed her on Neverland in front of the good Captain and Rumpelstiltskin.”

“You’ll still kill her if she comes between you and that crystal.”

“Of course I will, I need power more than I need a girl to dote on me.”

**Neverland—Past**

Newly in charge, Pan was still trying to learn how Neverland worked and how much his imagination could make the dark island flourish. After the massacre of the tribes and sending his best friend back to their realm, Pan was left with only Felix and the Shadow to talk to. The boys would take walks every day to assess what the island needed to further their survivals. On one such walk, Pan felt something tugging him off the path towards the Dark Jungle, Felix following behind obediently, ready to explain. Pan followed the strange feeling, the tugging becoming more noticeable the further in the jungle he went until he came upon a clearing.

It’s the darkest part of the jungle, a huge tree growing in the center with several dead trees surrounding the clearing, their branches twined together like a protective barrier. He could see a strange red light just beyond the tangle of the branches. “This is Dark Hollow,” Felix informs him, looking as though none of this shocked him. “It’s the darkest place on the island.” Pan gives a nod to show that he was listening, moving to kneel at the base of the large tree. The tree’s roots are exposed, a twisted mass that stretched out to the other trees in the clearing.

Something, Pan wasn’t sure what it was, told him to stick his hand in the tangle. Hesitantly, he reaches out, past the roots, until he could feel something cold and pulsing under his fingers. He pulls the object out, finding a large crystal, the stone an unnatural gray color. “What is this,” he asks, looking at the taller boy over his shoulder.

“The Nevergem,” Felix responds, taking it from him and closing his fingers around it to hide it from Pan’s view. “It’s enchanted by dark magic to allow the ruler of Neverland to stay in other lands for longer than a few days. Neverland’s creator hid it away before he allowed himself to be consumed by his Shadow. His ashes reside inside the stone—they’re what’s causing the pulsing, and they’re what will give you more power, but you have to break the crystal and inhale the fumes.”

“Give it to me, then.” Pan was desperate, unable to stay in other lands while he was tied to Neverland for more than a few days without a searing pain in his chest. Felix opens his hand again, the stone nowhere in sight. “What happened? Where did you send it?!” Felix smirks, turning his back and beginning to walk back the way they’d come.

“I sent it to a land without magic.”

**Gold**

The last thing Gold expected to find upon entering the shop was Belle getting ready to leave, let alone her looking ready to leave while upset. “Belle,” he asks in surprise, shutting the door behind him. “Where are you headed?” She clutches the ice pick tightly in both hands, giving Gold a small clue as to where she was planning on running off to.

“To the north woods,” she answers, close to tears,” where the Snow Queen has been hiding.” And here he thought he’s been lucky that the women in his life have steered clear of Ingrid and now he has one of them ready to charge at her head first. Honestly, he never would have guessed Belle would be the one to do something so foolish, but he supposed that Morgan had enough to worry about before going up against Ingrid.

“And what business do you have with her?”

“I have to fix a mistake that I made a long time ago.”

“What are you talking about?” He takes a few steps closer to his anxious wife, wondering whether or not she would hit him with the pick if he said something wrong.

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you. You wouldn’t understand.” That actually hurt him, unused to Belle hiding things from him when she was usually so open.

“Whether or not that’s true, the fact remains that she defeated both Regina and Emma.” Can’t she see how stupid her plan is? She won’t cause any harm against Ingrid—her weapon might as well be a tooth pick for all the good it would do. “She is far more dangerous than you realize.”

“I know.” Belle closes the space between them, looking up at him with wide blue eyes and a hopeful look he would have trouble saying no to. “That’s why I was—I was hoping you’d come with me.” Gold scoffs, walking around her to the counter that held his cash register.

“I’m sorry, Belle, that’s out of the question. I won’t let you anywhere near her.” He keeps his back to her, still unused to displaying genuine emotion even to the love of his life.

“I was afraid you were going to say that.” Dread rolls over him at her words, like a wave that meant to drown him. “Because….I really, really didn’t want to do this.” He could hear her moving around behind him, swallowing hard as he guessed what was about to happen to him. He turns to face her again, hurt when he finds her clutching the fake dagger.

“Belle, I gave you that dagger because I trusted you….Because I thought you would never want to control me.”

“I know. I know and I’m so, so sorry, Rumple.” Her blue eyes are tear-filled, the steely determination in them making her seem more desperate than anything. “But if you won’t come with me willingly, what choice do I have?” He desperately hoped Morgan would walk in and give him some excuse to leave or make Belle put away the dagger for now, but he had no such luck. Belle steps closer to him, seeing the betrayal plain on his face as she raises the dagger. “Take me to the Snow Queen.”

**Morgan**

I stretch in my seat as well as I can without disrupting the actors on stage, my phone in the center of the isle, magic keeping it floating and recording the rehearsal while blocking out unneeded noise, like me and Nicky talking. “How much longer,” I ask, laying my head on my arms and closing my eyes. I hear rustling paper, meaning that Nicky is shuffling through the papers scattered across the table in an attempt to find the schedule Micah printed out yesterday.

“Ten minutes,” he sighs. Bryland wisely stays quiet, sticking more to her divorce papers instead of our business. She’s finally realized that I’ve had enough, she’s stayed pretty quiet when I’m around ever since I blinded her soon-to-be-ex-husband. “Have you noticed how weird Mike’s been acting since Pan started healing his knee?” I prop my chin on my arms, watching our Lovett and Sweeney as they ran through A Little Priest. “I mean, weirder than normal—like Jack Sparrow being chased by the Kraken, weird.”

“There should be a Captain in there somewhere, but yes, I have. Pan’s been acting weird too, rummaging through stuff when he thought I was distracted or sleeping. He’s mainly been looking through stuff downstairs, but I know he’s working his way up. I just don’t know what he’s looking for yet.”

“Whatever it is, he’s roped Micah into helping him with it.”

“I’m sure he’s threatening Micah somehow. Don’t worry, I’ll keep a closer eye on Pan and make sure he doesn’t try anything.”

**Gold**

The couple stops at the opening of a cave, the ice coating the inside and outside of the cave stopping after a few feet and giving way to dirt. “That’s it,” Belle asks, looking at Gold,” That’s where she’s hiding?”

“Indeed,” Gold says, displeased with having to bring Belle here when there’s a chance that Ingrid could return at any moment and say something he didn’t want Belle to know. “But she’s not at home. I don’t sense her magic.” Belle stares up at the cave with some apprehension that wasn’t there when they started their hike.

“Good.” She takes a couple of steps up the incline leading to the entrance before facing him again. “You stay here as lookout. I’m going in.” He follows her up the incline, grasping her wrist gently in one hand.

“No, Belle, y-you’re not going in there alone.” She stops to face him again, giving Gold a look that a parent might give an annoying child.

“Look, I won’t be in there long. I just need to find something.” They begin to walk again, Gold not letting the subject drop just yet. If she found something dangerous in that cave while he was forced to stay out here, then his life would fall apart.

“What could you possibly want from the Snow Queen’s cave?”

“A hat.” They stops again, Gold’s smile beginning to fade as he thinks back to his newly acquired artifact that’s tucked safely away in his shop. She couldn’t possibly know about it, can she? “One that can strip a magical being of their powers.” Apparently she does, but where did she learn about it? Realizing she would expect some kind of response, Gold says the first not-lie that pops up in his head.

“Sounds like quite a remarkable object—almost too good to be true, which means it probably is.” Why can’t there be one woman in his life that doesn’t put their nose where it doesn’t belong?

“It isn’t, and I know she has it, and I need to get it from her. It’s the only way to force her to tell us where Anna is.” He could tell her that if he didn’t think it would unravel all of his planning. She’s in Arendelle, where she’s been for the past thirty years or so, frozen solid with her fiancé.

“So this is about Elsa’s sister? Why are you so invested in a girl you’ve never even met?” And, more importantly, how does she know of the sorcerer’s hat?

“Because a hero always helps strangers.” She raises the dagger again, making him tilt away from it to avoid its sharp edge. “Now keep watch, I’ll call out to you if I need your help.” He watches her disappear into the cave, feeling around with his magic so he’d know if someone came close to him. The last thing he needs at his point is for Belle to find out she has the fake dagger because he wasn’t there to do what she wanted.

He continues standing outside a few minutes later, his resolve beginning to crumble as he hears Belle shouting at nothing inside the cave. Finally having enough, he walks inside, surprised at how large the inside of the cave is compared to the outside. _Time Lord technology,_ his inner geek whispers, sounding suspiciously like Morgan. “Belle,” he asks softly, spotting his wife standing in front of a mirror with his dagger raised. “Belle!” He walks over to her, resting one hand on her lower back. “The Snow Queen’s approaching that cave.”

When she doesn’t acknowledge him, he looks to the mirror, finding her reflection looking slightly distorted from the magic rolling off of it. He stands in front of her, blocking her gaze and forcing her to stare at him instead of the mirror. “Look at me,” he instructs,” don’t look at the mirror. Look at me.” She looks terrified, holding the dagger with a shaky hand. “We have to leave.” It’s like she can’t see the real him, striking out with the dagger. He feels the edge of it bite his throat, a shallow cut that draws blood. He grabs a hold of her, trying to keep her from hurting him and herself.

“Let me go,” she screams, sounding as though she thought he was going to hurt her.

“You don’t know what you’re doing.”

“No!” Struggling to hold her in place, he uses his magic to transport them back to his shop. “Please, let me go!”

“It’s okay,” he promises her, having a hard time holding the surprisingly strong woman.

“Let—let me go!”

“It’s okay, we’re back in the shop. We’re back in the shop. It’s okay.” Her eyes are filled with tears again, glassy from the mirror’s enchantment. “It’s okay.” She pause now, her eyes regaining some focus.

“Wait, no. _You_ were outside the cave. I _commanded_ that you wait there.”

“You commanded me to keep watch.” He tightens his hold on her arms enough to cause some pin, hoping the sensation would bring her back completely. “I sensed she was coming back, I came to find you, and I’m glad I did.” He raises her hand that’s clutching the dagger, making her look at it finally instead of attacking him. She relaxes in his arms, looking as though she’d committed the worst sin imaginable.

“I hurt you,” she says breathlessly, dropping the dagger when she spots the cut on his neck. “I hurt you…I….” She drops, Gold going to the floor with her to cushion the fall. “I’m so sorry, Rumple.”

“It’s okay.”

“When I f-found that mirror, something came over me, like a—like a spell. A-and it spoke to me, and it made me believe all these horrible things, and it said to me that the dagger you gave me is fake.” Great, now a mirror was spouting out his secrets. He looks down, realizing now that things were calm, that he had come very close to being murdered today.

“I can assure you that nothing that mirror said is true. It was imbued with the darkest of magic. I-I know you would never wrong me.” He brushes the backs of his knuckles across her cheek, staring into her eyes and hoping she would believe his half-lie.

“I _have_ wronged you. I’ve kept a terrible secret from you.” She takes a deep breath before speaking again. “I’m the reason….That Anna is missing.” Well, that’s a curve ball if he’s ever experienced one. “I didn’t want anyone to know until I could make things right and save Anna. But I couldn’t, I failed, and all I managed to do was abuse the dagger, and take advantage of you, my true love. I-I don’t even know if I deserve to be with you anymore.”

“No, no, no. You were only doing what you thought was right.”

“You forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you.” The couple hugs each other tightly, the guilt beginning to set in and almost making Gold regret his planning. “Thank you for telling me everything.”

“Thank you for understanding. I never should have kept a secret from you, especially ‘cause I know that you’d never keep one from me.” Was there some god out there laughing at Gold right now because it certainly feels that way. “I love you, Rumple.”

“And I love you too.” Morgan and Pan chose then of all times to enter the shop, their silence strange after weeks of hearing them laughing.

“Sorry,” his daughter apologizes,” are we interrupting a moment?”

“No, come here, sweetheart.” She kneels down next to him and Belle, only partially shocked when Belle and Gold pull her in for a hug. The silence between Pan and Morgan didn’t escape him, and he plans to look in on it later.


	65. Chapter 65

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Morgan sings is called Roses of May from Final Fantasy IX, the lyrics written by Erutan. This one is just a filler chapter to get the play out of the way, so we can get back to the real plot. I know it seems fast, but this is set a few weeks after “Family Business” and you have to remember that they’ve been practicing since the start of this—so a few months in the long run.

I take a deep breath, climbing the stairs up the stage and then walking up to the mike stand, hands clasped in front of me. What a time for nervous jitters to hit me the second I’m supposed to begin singing. Micah, Nicky, and the rest of my family sit in the front row, Henry giving me a thumbs up and the rest of them giving me encouraging smile. _Okay, Morgan, just get this over with, then you can change into jeans and rejoin your family_. The music begins to play, soft and elf-like in its soothing notes.

 _“Her heart underneath cries quietly, this part of me I choose not to see. What lives must I take for fealty’s sake? How much blood must stain this warrior’s blade? War leaves its trail in moonlight so pale. Its shadows they flow in rivers and rivers, so put on my mask, I’ll go where they ask, so I might once again see the roses of May_ ,” I sing along, my voice as soft as the instruments. “ _Staining my soul and stinging my eyes, the red on my hands won’t wash away, wash away. Nowhere to run from what I have done, I’m no longer, no longer a rose of May. Fate holds the blade before you, mirrored in maiden’s eyes. Far from myself I fly into the perilous skies, and they said follow the blade before you—fear fall and courage rise. Leave all your tears behind you far from where innocence lies._

“ _Cage of the kings, no need for wings, so turn them to stone from roses to bone. When you look at me, what do you see? This costume I weave disfiguring me. War leaves its trail in moonlight so pale, its shadows they flow in rivers and rivers, so put on my mask, I’ll go where they ask, so I might once again see the roses of May. Staining my soul and stinging my eyes, the red on my hands won’t wash away, wash away. Nowhere to run from what I have done, I’m no longer, no longer a rose of May. Storm clouds are creeping closer, danger is drawing near. Why am I not protecting all that I once held dear? And you said break free from all that holds you—king’s hand and maiden’s tear run now into my arms, together we’ll conquer our fears._

 _“Led here by fate, no longer afraid, so here now I lay my roses of May_ ,” I finish, opening my eyes when I hear the polite applause. After a quick curtsey, I scramble backstage to our dressing stalls, pealing the dress off and pulling on a pair of jeans and clean shirt before grabbing my bag and taking up my seat between Papa and Emma.

“You did fantastically,” Papa tells me as our actors file back on stage to resume _Sweeney Todd_. “And now you can relax since all of this is over.”

“Yeah,” I breathe,” unless Micah tricks me into helping him with his next idea.”

“What’s that,” Emma asks, looking genuinely interested.

“ _Oklahoma_.” She nods, all of our attention moving back to the stage as Sweeney brandishes his razor and prepares to “kill” his customer. I slouch in my seat, picking at a loose thread on my ripped jeans until Papa covers my hand with his, giving it a squeeze. I smile, resting my head on his shoulder as the play proceeds. Exhaustion pulls at me, my sore eyes begging me to just close them for a moment. After all the excitement lately, I’ve been lacking in sleep and now that’s caught up to me. With a yawn, I close my eyes, listening as Carmichael and Bennett do their Sweeney/Lovett song.

The next thing I know, sudden applause is jerking me out of a dream about talking cookies and cannibal ducks. I straighten up, lending my own noise to the applause, trying to look as though I’ve been awake this entire time. “Come on, Morgan, let’s get you home to bed.”

“Allow me,” Dad says, already standing in front of me with his hand outstretched. I let him pull me to my feet, letting out a surprised squeak when he picks me up in his arms, one hand supporting my back while the other went under my knees. “We can’t have our star falling on the way out of the theater.” I smack his chest lightly before snuggling as close to him as I can for warmth.

“You’re a goof,” I murmur to him before falling back into a sleep blissfully lacking anything abnormal for once—no cannibal ducks, no talking cookies, just a sweet blackness and rest.

 


	66. Chapter 66

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got bad news for all the other Rumple fans, according to the writers and Robert Carlyle, Rumple won't be in season 5. As if that wasn't sad enough, season 5 will be the last season of OUaT.

**Pan**

He could feel it again, a sharp tugging that seemed to weaken every day that he spent running around Storybrooke like a chicken with his head cut off. It seemed particularly stronger in Morgan's room than anywhere else and he had a strong feeling that Felix had sent the Nevergem to Rumpelstilskin, who had passed it on to Morgan when she was old enough to handle the pulse of magic. Or maybe he had given it to her in the hopes that she would absorb the magic of the crystal?

"Okay," Morgan sighs, walking back into her room, hair damp and curling as it dried. Her clothing style intrigued him, she mainly dressed in dark colors despite her usually happy personality—they were contrasting and interesting. Today she had on ripped black skinny jeans, and a black tank top with the man known as Loki on the front, a pair of heeled boots, and a black jacket. "Let's get today over with, I'm already tired."

"All you've done is crawl out of bed, shower, and get dressed," he points out with a smile.

"Yes, and it was exhausting. Do me a favor, get the necklace Dad gave me out of my jewelry box." Pan nods, moving across the room to the antique wooden box that sat on her vanity, opening the front panel where she kept her necklaces. One in particular caught his eye as he reached in to grab the one Hook gave her, this necklace was oval shaped with a silver back and hung from a heavy brass chain. "Did you get lost?" He jumps, not having heard Morgan approach.

She pulls her necklace out, brushing against him as she moves away again, her scent making him close his eyes and breathe in deeply. She really does smell good, the mixture of magic and shampoo almost intoxicating. Magic had a specific scent depending on the type—Elsa and the Snow Queen smelled like a cold winter's morning, Gold smelled like bitter chocolate, and Morgan smelled like rain. He exhales sharply, taking one last look at the Nevergem.

"We'd better hurry or Micah may come looking for you," he finally speaks up, knowing there was no possible way for him to get the crystal with Morgan watching him so intently. It felt like she knew something, like she could see every thought that speeds through his mind, and he felt only the tiniest bit guilty about it. He should never have grown attached to her, he knew that as soon as he had the chance, he would escape this mundane world with his magic fully restored.

**Morgan**

"Morgan," Micah drawls as we walk into the theater," sing something for our newest patron." The person sitting beside Micah at the folding table turns to face Pan and me with a lazy smile. His blonde hair should've told who he was to begin with considering how few blonde men there are in Storybrooke, but it's still a nice surprise when I find Whale instead of one of the Brylands. "Apparently, the good doctor hasn't heard your voice yet since he had to work through our showing of  _Sweeney Todd_."

"Sucks for him," I reply, sitting in the chair next to Micah while Pan takes a seat in one of the theater seats out of the way of the planning process. "I'm not singing in this play, you can just play music like they did in the movie for intermissions."

"You know, if we put a blonde wig on you—"

"Continue with that train of thought and I will see to it that you go home with my boot up your ass, Blaine." Micah snorts, giving me a look of amused pity.

"Oh, honey, if I can take Nicky, then I can deal with your boot."

"Okay," Whale interrupts loudly as Micah opened his mouth to continue," Let's focus on who we'll cast in this and how the script is coming." And the process begins all over again.

**Gold**

After making sure everything in the backroom was safely accounted for and that Henry didn't do too much snooping, Gold walks back into the front of the store, taking up his usual place behind the counter and watching as Henry swept the floor. He really is a good boy, but he should be sure to tidy up a bit more if he's going to rifle through things that don't belong to him. "Okay," Henry says, walking up to the counter with his chest puffed out," I've swept the floor twice. Don't you think it's time I learned something a bit more…Magical?"

Knowing that Regina didn't want Henry to learn magic unless she was his teacher, Gold's response wasn't hard to come up with. "Well, Henry, today is your lucky day." The boy's dark eyes fill with the same hope and excitement Morgan's did when she first began her studies in magic. "Because I am gonna give you a potion that possesses the power to transform something old into something new." He bends down to retrieve a dark brown glass bottle as he speaks, holding it so that Henry couldn't read the label.

"What kind of potion's that?" Gold spin the bottle in his hand, the label showing clearly on the front now and Henry's expression dropping.

"Furniture polish. You can start in the back." He hands it over to the boy with a smile and points a finger at him. "Don't touch anything you shouldn't." Less enthusiastic, Henry takes bottle and broom and walks to the backroom right as the shop door opened to allow David, Belle, Hook, and Elsa inside. Really, he was beginning to grow tired about fixing other people's mistakes. "Ah, this procession never bodes well." He shuts his inventory book, focusing on the people in front of him.

"The Snow Queen iced over the locks of the sheriff's station," David explains," Emma's trapped inside with her."

"We need your help, Rumple," Belle pleads, only her words having an effect on him," you must be able to get us in there. Please." He stares down at the counter top, working through what affect it could have on the plans he's already put in place.

"How could I turn down the pleas of my beloved wife," he asks rhetorically, looking into Belle's eyes and reveling in the love he saw mirrored back. "After you." Three of the four leave, Hook hanging behind, looking worried and on edge.

"Alright, Crocodile, what's your game," Hook asks once the door closed behind the trio. He steps up the counter in a threatening manner, though no shiver of fear went racing down Gold's spine. Hook can't kill him and he most certainly couldn't scare him. Not when he's so close to his goal. "The last two villains that came into town tried to kill you, but you seem rather unconcerned by this one. Makes a man wonder if you two have a history." The accuracy of Hook's line of thinking makes Gold angry, but he tries not to show it to the pirate.

"You can wonder all you like, Dearie. My history….My business." He's just glad that Morgan would be busy at the theater for a little while longer and hopefully wouldn't have to get involved.

**Morgan**

I never thought the end of my "shift" at the theater would involve excitement of this level, not the bad kind of excitement, anyway. Nicky and I were walking our normal route back to Papa's shop when we noticed a group of people gathered by the station and the huge hole in the wall. "Wow," I breathe. "What happened here?" Papa looks up as Nicky and I approach, looking none too happy to see me getting interested in something that was none of my business.

"I did it," Emma says in a shaky voice, looking down at her hands uncertainly. My eyes widen, looking around at the stone that litters the parking lot. She must have been inside when she blew the hole in the wall because there was only minor damage inside. Dad and David take a step closer to her, obviously meaning to offer comfort, but Emma's hands shoot up and she begins to retreat in fear. "Just keep your distance. I don't know if I can control myself. I don't want to hurt anyone." Nicky moves so that I'm half-behind him and half-behind Papa, barely able to see as Hook tries to run after Emma.

"You should heed her words," Papa cautions.

"Emma, we can help," Elsa calls out.

"Just stay away," Emma replies, still walking. The second Dad's fingers graze her wrist, Emma turns and throws her arm out, magic sparking from it and hitting a nearby streetlight, the light coming down and sparks showering from every other light nearby. Nicky turns quickly, pulling me close to him and shielding me from the unruly magic.

"David," Snow screams in concern. Nicky relaxes only slightly, still holding me protectively like a brother might hold his younger sister when she's scared of the monster under her bed. I peek around him, spotting David and Dad on the ground, neither one of them appearing too banged up from what I can make out. Snow helps David up, making sure he wasn't in need of an ER visit before fixing Emma with a harsh look. "Emma!" Emma's eyes widen with guilt at the sharp tone, beginning to back away again. "Emma…. Emma, wait." She shakes her head, turning and running for her car.

"Swan," Dad shouts, grabbing for her again, but missing. I watch as she drives off, the fabric of Nicky's shirt clenched tightly in my hands, suddenly very happy for all the strict training I went through with Papa to be able to control my magic.

"Are you both okay," Papa asks, holding Belle's hand in his and using the free one to cup my face. "You're not hurt, little bird?"

"I'm fine, Papa," I answer softly, my hands shaking. "Thank you for teaching me how to control all of this." I gesture at myself with my hands, knowing that he understood what I meant.

"Don't thank me, sweetheart, I'm just glad you're okay."

**Gold**

Gold stares at the little snow globe in his hands, focusing on all the tiny details that make up the clock tower captured inside. This would be taken home as a gift to Morgan, something for her to add to her collection of knickknacks. The door above his shop door jingles and he can smell the cold of Ingrid's magic as she steps inside. "As someone who's created many monsters in his time," he says without turning around," I am impressed by the number you did on Miss Swan." He can hear the click of shoes on hardwood as she walks a few steps closer to him.

"I'm ready to make that deal," she says in her usual breathy tone. He laughs softly, setting the snow globe down on the counter before turning to face the town's newest villain.

"So, you finally understand what you didn't so many years ago?" He remembered the meeting as clearly as if it were yesterday, something that happens when you're an immortal with an excellent memory.

"I want my ribbons back."

"Then you'll also understand that a—a deal requires an exchange of goods. And I'm no longer convinced that you have anything I want."

"You still need one more thing to cleave yourself from that dagger." Gold sobers immediately at her words, a thousand different thoughts running wild in his head, trying to figure out how she'd guessed his plans so easily.

"And how do you know about that?"

"I had that hat longer than you." She begins walking again, stopping not far from him. "I learned many things. Among them—the missing piece of your puzzle. Give me my ribbon. I'll tell you what it is." His heart began to race in his chest and he was almost sure she could hear the rapid thumping of it. "You see, I've figured out your plan. Storybrooke is a small town. Too small for someone as powerful as the Dark One to be content."

"Well, they did close down that ice-cream parlor I was so fond of." To get some of his personal space back, he walks behind the counter with calm, measured steps meant to give the impression that he wasn't feeling doubt gnawing away at him.

"You want to cleave yourself from the dagger, so you can venture outside Storybrooke without losing your power or your precious girls." As she talks, he bends down to retrieve a rectangular wooden box and places it on the counter between the two of them. "You want, in short, what all villains want."

"And what's that?" He unclasps the lock, opening the top for her to see the three pale yellow ribbons inside, each of them tied into a perfect bow. Ingrid gives a small gasp when she sees them for the first time in years, her sentimentality showing on her face.

"Everything." She meets his gaze again, her pale eyes locking with his dark ones. "And I want to give it to you."

"What makes you so generous?" Her hand rises hesitantly, but Gold moves his faster to rest in front of the ribbons. There's no way she's getting her hands on these just yet. Her hand pauses before resting on the snow globe.

"What you want is out there. And everything that I want is in here." Ice begins to form on the glass, obscuring the clock tower from view.  _So much for giving it to Morgan_. "Do what you want with the rest of the world. Storybrooke will be mine." Fair enough, what's one town when he can have the rest of this magic-free world? He lifts one small, blue, velvet cushion from the box, a ribbon tied neatly around it. "Do you want your answer?" He looks up at her, his brows drawn together in his anger that she'd found out his plans after all.

"You know I do."

"Then we have a deal." Her hand stretches out again, going for the cushion he held in his hand, but he pulls it out of her reach, pointing at her like he'd pointed at Henry earlier today.

"You first. Tell me what I require." After a beat, she leans forward over the counter to whisper in his ear.

"The heart of someone who knew you before you became the Dark One." His lips form a content smile, two people in town fitting in quite nicely.

"Not only can I do that…." Both lean back into their original positions. "….But I shall do it with  _great_  pleasure."

**Pan**

He moves through the quiet house, glad that Rumple hadn't returned quite yet to catch him sneaking into Morgan's room. He needs that necklace and he needs it right this minute. With Emma's powers out of control, the others wouldn't think to look for him just yet. He pushes the door to his girlfriend's room open, letting out a sigh of relief when the slight squeak of the hinges doesn't wake her up. She's sprawled out in bed, one leg hanging off the side of the bed and her mouth hanging open.

With shaking hands and nimble feet, he moves to her jewelry box across the room, opening the front panel as he had only this morning. He never noticed the slight change in Morgan's breathing pattern as he moved, nor did he notice the faint rustling of covers as he got the crystal out and shut the panel back. He straightens up, holding the surprisingly lightweight chain in his hand and studying the reflections caught in the crystal in the moonlight.

"Pan?"


	67. Chapter 67

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Morgan and Gold dance to is called "Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27: No. 2 'Moonlight Sonata'." Sorry this update is slow, but I had to switch computers since my old one stopped working. There may be mistakes that I don't catch since my new computer doesn't have Microsoft Word.

Rustling wakes me up, my thought process slow as I try and figure out what caused the rustling without opening my eyes. The noise is soft and not far from my bed, almost like the sound clothing makes when someone moves. The soft tinkling sound of jewelry moving is what makes me open my eyes. I spot the noisemaker standing in front of my vanity with one of my necklaces clutched in their hands. "Pan," I ask, voice still hoarse from sleep," what are you doing?" I sit up a little, leaning back against the headboard as I observe the older boy in the moonlight.

"I'm leaving this world," he tells me, holding the necklace up for me to see the heavy crystal dangling from the chain. "This will help me do that and keep my powers." He has a crazed smile, the fingers of his free hand twitching against his leg. "I'll give you a choice, Morgan: you can stay with these squabbling idiots in this disgusting realm, or you can come far away with me and rule Neverland." He thinks it still exists.

"Do you know why I'm the keeper of the Nevergem and not Papa?" He appears confused by my question, but says nothing. "It's because of the continuous pulse of magic that it lets out, it's completely pure. It's not light or dark, it has no sides, and it's just pure and untouched magic — uncorrupted by time. If anyone who didn't have similar magic crushed it and absorbed the magic, it would kill them, but I can handle it. My magic is pure in the same sense, I filter it before releasing it back in the world."

"Who cares, I can handle it in this world without magic. That's why the Alp sent it here in the first place." I keep quiet, knowing he's made his choice already. With a crazed grin, he throws the crystal as hard as he can against the floor. The grey stone shatters into tiny shards and the dust vaporizes the second it touches the air. "What?!"

"The gem is tethered to Neverland, while the island flourishes, so does it."

"But…."

"The hourglass in the heart of Neverland shattered when Felix died. The magic you felt tugging you to the gem grew fainter because the magic of Neverland grew fainter. It completely drained away three hours ago. You made the wrong choice in thinking that you were the one keeping Neverland alive and well. Felix was the creator and Felix is dead. Those were just ashes of an old dead sorcerer, a Dark One once upon a time, and the ashes aren't the magical component. The crystal was." I shake my head, using magic to clean up the mess as I get on to slip on my flip flops and robe.

"Morgan—"

"Just don't, Pan." With the broken crystal shards in the trash can beside my vanity, I use magic to transport Pan and me to the town line. The ice wall is still up, as high and imposing as ever, but I have a slight advantage over it. With reluctance, I hold Pan's head in my hands, forcing him to look into my eyes as my magic goes to work. All the magic inside him is transferred to me and then into the ice wall, Pan's memories of everything melting away and replaced with false ones. Just enough so that he doesn't freak out in the world outside.

Without breaking eye contact, I begin pushing him backwards towards the wall and the small hole beginning to form in it. "P-please…." His word is slurred, sounding like he's had one too many, though it's just magic's effect on his brain.

"Bye, Pan." The ice lets him through, sensing the wrongness around him, that he doesn't belong here and never has. The moment he's clear of the ice on the other side, the hole disappears and it becomes one solid wall again. "What a fantastic start to my day." Deciding to forgo using any more magic, I hike back to my house, arms wrapped around me and head lowered to fit the early morning chill.

When I finally make it back, Belle and Papa are already awake and working on breakfast, the smell of bacon taking off some of my sadness. Banishing Pan was hard, but it was necessary to continue living here without worrying about him stabbing me in the back. "Were you walking around in you pajamas?" Papa asks when he spots me, setting a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast on the bar that separates the kitchen from the dining room. I hop up on a stool, pulling the plate closer to me.

"Yeah, I couldn't waste time getting dressed."

"What were you doing," Belle asks, sitting on the stool next to me with a glass of orange juice in hand. I shake my head with a shrug and despondent sigh. "Morgan, you know you can tell us anything." She squeezes my shoulder, brow creased in worry.

"I pushed Pan over the line this morning. He was planning on stealing away with the Nevergem and doing God only knows what with it."

"But the ice wall…."

"I made a gap, but it sealed back up right after Pan went through it. I couldn't do that again if I tried."

"Sweetheart," Papa says, coming around to stand in front of me, spinning my sit so that I face him," I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, you and Dad both agreed that he was trash and you were right." After an awkward amount of silence with Belle explaining tough break ups and Papa just squeezing me against him in a one-sided hug, I finally reach the amount of pity I can take. "Okay, I'm gonna go get dressed for the day and then head over to Snow's loft to see if they've had any luck in locating Emma."

The first person I see when I walk into the loft is my nephew. He's explaining something about his mother, but his words fade into white noise when I notice the cut at the base of his head. "What the hell happened," I demand, dropping my purse and walking over to Henry, turning his head to the side to examine the cut. It's shallow and the bleeding has mostly stopped, but the thought of someone hurting this boy has me ready to fight.

"It's nothing," Henry says, pushing at my probing hands. "Emma did it on accident, that's all." He shrugs, wincing from the stinging cut, but otherwise no worse for wear. Snow walks over to us, wrapping an arm around Henry's shoulders and leading him away.

"This is bad news," David sighs," if anyone can calm her down, it's Henry." I hop up on the table, crossing my legs at the ankles to avoid accidentally flashing someone. My galaxy skirt may be cute, but it's also short.

"When your powers are out of control, everything's upside down," Elsa explains speaking from personal experience. "You don't want to be anywhere near the people you care about."

"Wonderful," Dad says sarcastically. He looks as fed up with Elsa's useless fortune cookie bullshit as I do. "Well, shall we send Sneezy after her, then? Or Happy. Which is the Dwarf she despises?"

"Doc," I fill in helpfully, looking down at my slip-ons.

"I was so scared I was gonna hurt Anna—"

"Stop, you're not helping us narrow down where to find our Savior, so stop with the reminiscing!" Elsa and everyone else looks shocked at my outburst, Elsa's wide eyes filling with tears. "You haven't said one helpful thing since all this started. You've lost your fucking memory, so you're no use when it comes to the Snow Queen! What good is there in having you around?" Elsa opens and closes her mouth a few times, a few tears spilling over. "I don't know how Papa used to do this all the time, I can't take it. If anyone needs help, ask Archie, he's a therapist and Lord knows that we all need some help in that department."

I get up, grabbing my purse and slamming the door behind me on my way out.

**Gold**

When Gold steps inside the darkened shop, he didn't expect there to be any noise, he expected peaceful quiet. He found that anything in his shop that functioned on electricity was going full force and all liquids were bubbling. He smirks, knowing who was causing the fluctuations in magic. Only one person in Storybrooke was out of control, and that is the missing Emma Swan. The projector behind him starts up, the gears clicking quietly. He turns to face it, the smirk never leaving his face.

"If you're trying to hide from me, Miss Swan," he calls out, facing the main counter," you're doing a poor job."

"I'm not hiding from you," the blonde explains, walking out from the backroom so he can see her," I'm hiding from everyone else." She looks uncomfortable, her hands held close to her body, and her shoulders tense.

"So Belle tells me. She was watching Neal all night." Belle had returned home in time for Morgan to walk in.

"While my family was searching for me, I know. My magic is hurting people, Gold—people I love. I need you to help me control it." It was always intriguing when the heroes came to him for help, always succeeding in arousing his curiosity.

"What makes you think I'm your best option?"

"Because I….Hurt Henry." Now the sympathy kicks in, ruining his high with worry of his grandson. He walks past her to the counter, hoping that the boy wasn't hurt too badly.

"What?"

"I—he's okay, but it was just luck. You're probably the only person who's safe around me right now. I need you to help before I hurt anybody else." He takes up his place behind the counter, already coming up with a plan to work in his favor. He still needs to charge the hat, and what better way to do that than by using the Savior?

"There's only one way to help with this affliction." He rests a hand on the thick book resting on the counter, using subtle magic to make a piece of parchment appear folded between the pages.

"Well, just fine, do it."

"You haven't heard what I have to say."

"I don't care. My son is in pain because of me. Just fix it." He so loves the desperate ones, always too eager for help that they don't read the fine print. He opens the book and extracts the parchment, laying it flat on the counter for her to see. There are runes written on it, nothing special, just another spell.

"This is an ancient spell. It's designed to take away light magic from those who choose to part with it, but the effect would be permanent." He uses his deal-making voice, persuasive and smooth.

"So I'd lose all my magic. I'd be…?"

"Ordinary. But….Your magic would no longer hurt the ones you love, and you…." He pauses slightly, watching as smoke began to rise from where Emma's hand rested on a box. "Would be able to embrace your son." When she realizes what she's doing, she raises her hand quickly, staring at it in fear.

"Do it."

"Well, unfortunately, Savior magic doesn't go quietly. Though the spell won't hurt you, it will destroy almost everything else within a city block. That would make for quite a macabre sigh at Grannies, don't you think?" Plus, he has to be back home to spend Morgan's birthday with her.

"So let's find somewhere else out in the woods."

"As you wish." He uses his magic again, making a map appear under a stack of papers behind the counter. "I think I know…." He bends down, retrieving the map and holding it up for Emma to see. "….Just the spot." He half-unfolds it, studying one side for a second before flipping it over and finding the house he and Belle had spent their honeymoon in. He grabs a pen, circling the destination. "Here is an abandoned manor. You meet me here at sundown, and I'll have everything prepared."

"Thanks, Gold. Please don't tell anyone I was here."

"Don't worry about me, Dearie. It'll be our little secret." She lets out a sigh, walking out the front door and sneaking away. Once she was out of sight, he crumples up the parchment and tosses it in the trash.

**Morgan**

The house is more crowded than usual when I walk inside, the noise of people talking coming in from the kitchen. There's a banner taped above the mantel in the living room proclaiming: HAPPY NINETEENTH BIRTHDAY in bold green and purple letters. "What the hell," I ask out loud, staring up at it with my nose scrunched up. The coffee table had a table cloth draped over it, tiny streamers painted on it with a few presents stacked in a pyramid shape. "Surprise, Vee." I turn when I hear Dad's voice, spotting him in the doorway with a sad smile on his lips. He nods towards the kitchen behind him. "Come on, birthday girl."

With a small smile of my own, I walk into the large kitchen with him, eyes widening a little when I see how many people had turned up for my birthday lunch. Usually it would just be me, Papa, and Henry, and I was fine with that arrangement since I didn't like most of the people in town. But today it seems that people had actually remembered—Regina, Papa, Dad, Belle, Henry, Whale, Micah, Nicky, and Ruby stood around the bar, a cake prominently displayed. The frosting is dark purple with green writing on it and a few candles making the shape of a heart.

"You didn't think we'd forget your birthday because of chaos, did you," Whale asks, pulling me over to the group and lighting the candles.

"Make a wish, kiddo," Nicky encourages, Micah sending me a wink that would make most people swoon. Biting my lip, I lean forward and close my eyes, trying to come up with a wish that would actually benefit me in some way. I wish things could just calm down for a minute. I blow the candles out, laughing with the others. "Alright, cake time, let's eat!" Papa and Regina use their magic to divide the cake into pieces, plates magically appearing and floating to people with cake and ice-cream on them.

Once the cake had been devoured, Henry eating more than any twelve year old should be able to fit into his mouth, we move back into the living room. People sit where they could on the limited furniture. "Here, ours' first since we're your favorite couple," Micah grins. He tosses me a square-shaped box wrapped in bright pink wrapping paper. He's always bought me bright pink stuff for the simple reason that he knows I hate the color. I rip the paper off and throw the box top at Micah, Nicky catching it easily before it could smack his boyfriend in the face. Inside is the script of the Sweeney Todd movie, signed in black sharpie by none other than Johnny Depp himself. "I thought you'd like that."

The next present is small and rectangular from Regina, wrapped in pale blue paper. Inside is a necklace made of pure silver; the top part designed to be kind of swirly while the part dangling from that resembled tiny hand fans, and the part dangling from that were tear-drop diamonds; every bit of the front part apart from the tear-drops had small diamonds set into them. "Oh my God," I breathe, staring at the thing in shock. Regina walks behind me, taking the necklace from me and replacing the bottle necklace Dad had given me with the new one before retaking her seat in the armchair across from me.

"I've had it a long time, my father gave it to me and you're the closest thing to a daughter I have," she says with a smile.

"Thank you, Regina."

"You're welcome." The next present is from Whale—three hundred dollars to spend on anything I want and an internship at the hospital if I ever feel like going into nursing.

"You should know all the procedures at this point," he snarks," you've been a guest at the hospital enough times."

"I wish I could argue with that," I say with a laugh, stuffing the money in my bra since skirts don't come with pockets. Henry jumps up next, handing me a present wrapped in plain white paper with hand-drawn pictures of swords and dragons. "Thanks, squirt." He just smiles, sitting back down beside his mom. I open it, finding the first season of Game of Thrones with the plush dragon eggs from the show. I give my nephew another smile, setting that present aside to get the next one. Ruby hands me two different boxes all wrapped in red and black paper. In each is a different article of clothing—a black and white checkered skirt and a shimmery silver top.

"The day you turn twenty-one, I'm taking you to a club," she informs me with a huge grin," just like we used to, only legal this time."

"That sounds great, Ruby. Thanks." Dad hands me a large box wrapped in silver paper.

"It's from Swan and her parents," he explains," they couldn't be here, but they didn't want you going without." I open it, finding a pair of expensive heels inside. "And this one's from me." What he hands me isn't wrapped, but it's still one of my favorite presents so far. It's drawing on parchment done in charcoal of Dad holding a tiny infant in his arms, smiling down at her. The detail is amazing and I know who drew it—my mother. "I've kept it all these years because it was drawn by Milah, but you should have part of her since she was your mother."

I hug Dad tightly, whispering a quiet thank you in his ear. "My turn," Belle announces as I pull back, folding up the drawing and laying it carefully down on the outfit Ruby got me. Belle hands me a familiar shape wrapped in pale green paper. "You'll love it." I tear the paper off to reveal a pristine copy of my favorite Goosebumps book. My own copy had been destroyed by the last curse, but this must be one of the things she'd been so focused on lately.

"You're right," I tell her," I love it." She gives Dad a smug look, her chin tilted up in an 'I told you so' manner. And that ended that, the rest of the time spent eating the lunch Granny sent and cleaning up. Once the house was back in its usual state, the others file out to pick up their duties again, all except for Papa and me.

"Are you ready for my present," he asks with a loving smile. I shrug, looking up at my papa the way all kids look at the person they love most in the world. "Close your eyes, little bird." I do so, feeling his magic wrap around me like an old friend, my clothing shifting and my hairstyle changing. "Alright, now open them." Papa stands off to the side, a full-body mirror floating in front of me and reflecting back an image of myself. My outfit had changed like I thought, now a beautiful full-length ball gown, the bodice a shimmering silver, and the rest a dark blue that glittered in the light.

The sides of my hair were held back out of my face, the rest hanging down my back in curls and a silver, diamond-studded tiara resting on my head. I stand slightly taller than usual and find a pair of high heels on my feet designed to look like pure diamond, though they were soft and comfortable. "What's with all this," I ask with a smile, gesturing at the strange outfit choice. His has changed too, dressed in breeches, a white shirt, and dark red frock coat.

"Well, when you were a little girl, you always complained about never going to balls." He snaps his fingers, the mirror disappearing and piano music beginning to play as he rests on hand lightly on my waist. He takes my left hand in his free one, spinning us around the room. While my eyes were closed and my clothing changed, he had pushed the furniture against the walls to give us room. "I told you that I would allow you to attend a ball on your nineteenth birthday. I don't break deals, little bird, not with you. Happy birthday."

**Gold**

Gold finds Ingrid staring into the same mirror that had nearly driven Belle to killing him. He had left Morgan safely at home, putting away her presents and enjoying her day. "Did you come here for a reason," Ingrid asks, not turning away from the mirror. "As I recall, I already told you what you need to do to free yourself from your dagger." Gold gives a little smile, still happy from the father-daughter dance he'd shared earlier. "I have nothing more to give you." She turns a little, looking at him over her shoulder. "Unless…." She turns fully now, walking closer to him. "….You simply like watching me."

"I never do anything without a good reason," he answers, hands behind his back. "And watching your twisted mind at work does not qualify." He walks away from her, leading her to where she needs to stand.

"Twisted? Says the man who betrayed everyone in Storybrooke?" Gold scoffs, keeping his tone light and conversational.

"I haven't betrayed a single person. Not yet, anyway." He shrugs, looking at her as he says this.

"Did you forget that you gave me those?" He knows what she's gesturing at without looking—those little yellow ribbons. "Did you forget what they can do?"

"I don't forget much, Dearie." He continues to circle her, feeling smug as he comes to a stop a few feet away from her. "But if you plan to put that ribbon on Emma Swan, you're about to be disappointed. With her powers out of control, I've now found my own use for her." Ingrid's poised manner changes abruptly, showing how much Gold gets under her skin.

"You think you can take her away from me now?" She raises her hand quickly, attempting to send a blast of her icy magic his way, but a faint gold light appears. It blocks her magic and her hand from coming anywhere near him. Rage is replaced with panicked gasping, both of her hands coming up to feel the shield. Gold closes his eyes for a moment, glad to have his plan finally coming together. "What did you do?"

"Look down." He has her now, locked in this place for a little while. A gold circle appears around her, showing her, her limits with a faint whoosh. "Remember the urn your sister placed you in? It had the power to limit your magic."

"Elsa destroyed that urn."

"Well, funny thing about magic—it can never be destroyed completely. It simple lives on in other forms. Magic survives. I visited the barn where the urn was destroyed, collected its remnants—" He shows her the empty bottle he's kept in his pocket. "—Grain by grain, painstaking process. And I must say…." He glances down at the circle of urn dust before locking gazes with Ingrid again. "….The effort paid off." He turns his back to her, slowly walking off.

"When I escape, there will be a terrible price to pay." Gold pauses with a smile, turning and walking back over to her.

"Don't worry, the dust won't last long, just long enough to get what I want. And, uh, you see, I don't have to betray everyone in Storybrooke. Just you. And, I'm afraid…. Emma Swan." He really does leave her this time, content to spend time with his daughter until he has to go to the manor.

**Killian**

He bursts into the shop, looking around the darkened business in determination. "Crocodile," he shouts," where are you?!" And then he spots the small hand print burned into the top of a box on the counter, his own hand hovering over it. He knows who it belongs to well enough, too slim to belong to the only other women in town with magic. "Emma. No. No, no, no." He pulls the little talking device out of his coat pocket, dialing the familiar number and holding it up to his ear. Growing frustrated when he gets Emma's voice mail message instead of it ringing. "Swan, it's Killian again." His voice is shaky, showing just how worried he was. "You have to listen to me. I know that you've been to see Gold. I saw what you did. And if he's promised to get rid of your powers, don't listen to him. He doesn't want to help you. He wants—he wants to collect your powers in a bloody magic hat.

"And when he does, you'll be sucked in too. I-I don't know what he's planning, but I know that he's been lying to Belle and Morgan. The dagger he gave Belle is a fake and Morgan doesn't know what he's been up to. I only know all this because..." He has to pause before revealing his secret to the one woman in Storybrooke—his daughter aside—that truly loves him. "Because I'm afraid I've been lying, too. Gold blackmailed me into helping him. He knew. He knew I'd do whatever it takes to be with you and to keep seeing my baby, and he used it against me. I just wanted to be a better man for you, Swan. But I failed. And now because of it, I might lose you. I'm sorry. But I hope you never forgive me because that means that you'll get this in time to save yourself. Good bye." Killian hangs up the phone, clenching it tightly in his fist as a way to vent some of his anger.

That's when he spots it, the half-folded map with the location circled in ink. With a plan of redeeming himself and saving the woman he loves, Killian runs out of the shop with a destination in mind.


	68. Chapter 68

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still getting things in order on my new computer and iTunes doesn't work right on it, so I'm sorry for the filler chapter.

Magic was altering my dream, of that much I know for certain, but where is that magic coming from and why can't I seem to drag myself into full consciousness? Sensations are all I have right now, but the real ones are mixed in with the ones from my dream, so I'm not sure how to tell the two apart. In my dream, I'm walking along a beach, the sand warm under my bare feet and the waves soothing, spray hits me every now and then, the cool moisture making me shiver. Suddenly the sand goes cold and hard for an instant, the spray a little too cold for a hot day like this. Am I outside? It would explain the differing sensations, cold asphalt underfoot and rain pelting down on me.

But before I can question in for too long, the sensations change again back to warmth. I breathe in deeply, honestly expecting to smell the ocean, but instead I smell rain. I look up at the clouds, taking in the pale blue sky and lazy clouds floating past. It's not humid and the air isn't charged with electricity, no sign of an approaching storm, so why the strange smell? The breeze picks up, driving away the scent of rain and replacing it with the taste of salt. I laugh, spinning in the sand with my arms outstretched. I haven't been this relaxed in so long, so why is my stomach twisting like I have to do something I dread? The magic hits me again, the strength of it almost as strong as the magic leaking from the hourglass on Neverland. Suddenly dizzy, I collapse in the sand, almost shocked when I hit it and it's wet. This distance away from the water, it should still be mostly dry.

 _Wake up_ , a voice from inside me whispers,  _wake up and fight back_. I shake the thought away, not wanting to leave when it's so nice here. Where would I go anyway? Back to Storybrooke where people are always expecting others to fix their mistakes? Where the only parents I have fantasize about killing each other in creative ways every single day? No thank you, I'll stay right here where I'm safe. I cross my arms and raise y head stubbornly, a gesture I've seen Dad do on numerous occasions. The skies overhead grow darker, the sun hiding behind a lead-colored cloud, heavy with rain and threatening to burst. Things were changing again, my reality clashing with my dream. "No," I whimper, standing up, feeling suddenly angry. "No, I'm not waking up! I'm safe here!" A rumble of thunder is the only sound now besides the howling of the wind as it picks up.

And then the voices started, wanted and unwanted at the same time, my dream shifting even more to include wet grass beneath my feet, but the ocean didn't vanish. I still feel its spray hitting me. "No," I hear Papa say in disappointment, though I can't see him anywhere.

"Well, I'm guessing she didn't go through with it," I hear Dad say now with a chuckle. "So sorry." His tone is laced with sarcasm, suggesting he's happy about something. "Oh, but I do love the look of loss on your face." He laughs, the sound echoing in the air around me like a tornado siren warning people to get to safety. Something's happening, something I can't make out because of the magic holding me in the dream.

"I may not have the Savior, Pirate, but I assure you, today won't be a complete loss. I need to fill that hat with power, yes. But that was only part of the equation. Because I need something else, a secret ingredient, one I didn't know about until an associate clued me in." I cover my ears, desperately trying to drown everything out as my subconscious self sensed I wouldn't want to hear this, but the voices continued louder than ever. "A heart."

"Well, if you need my help procuring it, know the only help I give you is with your demise. I'll be damned if I allow you to influence my child any longer."

"Oh, you're gonna help me, all right. You see, this spell is gonna finally separate me from the dagger so it no longer hold power over me. But to cast it I need the heart of someone special, someone who knew me before the dagger... Before I was the Dark One. Unfortunately, everyone who fits that description is already dead or out of my reach, but one remains."

"No. No!"

"Yes."  _No, please, I don't want to hear this! Please just make it stop!_ Thunder booms again, the tears on my face blending in with rain as it begins to pour down on me. "As luck would have it, Dearie, you're my oldest friend." The sickening squish sound reverberates on the beach, a sound I knew from ages ago when someone would try to cheat Papa out of their deal... A sound associated with someone getting the heart torn out of their chest. The worst part is the scream that accompanied it, my father's pained shout making my own heart skip a beat.

"Get on with it, then. Just do it."

"Oh no, I promised you we'd have some fun first. You're gonna do everything I say because you're my puppet now. You're gonna find another way to fill that hat with the power it needs. And then? Then I'll kill you." I begin to run, unsure of which direction I was going in until I find myself soaring through the air until the hard ground rises up to meet me, my nightgown soaked through with mud and rainwater, but still the dream refused to release me completely. "Morgan?"

"Vee!"And then the beach is calm again, no more strange voices and the feeling of panic fading away into oblivion. Why would I need to worry on a beautiful day like this?


	69. Chapter 69

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you guys and please just bear with me until I can get my muse to cooperate. On the bright side, I'm working on a Hobbit fic that I plan to post after I finish 'season four' of this story. I know this is super short and I'm sorry if it completely sucks!

**Outside of Storybrooke** **—A few days ago**

Pan lets out a small groan, looking around him in confusion. He knows this place and yet he doesn't at the same time, false memories swirling around in his head that only cause a migraine to form. Why was he here? Where the hell is here? Slowly and on shaky legs, he stands up and brushes ash off his pants. In front and behind him is nothing but a single stretch of highway and on his sides is nothing but forest. Something important just happened to him, why else would he be standing in the middle of nowhere when it's pitch black outside?

Had he gone and got drunk? No, he's not the type that likes to drink. Pan's memories seem hazy, like he should know things, but there's a huge fence up that keeps him from reaching them, too tall for him to peak over. He was even having trouble remembering his name. Is Pan even right? Something, a tiny voice on the other side of the fence, whispers that it is, but a closer, louder, voice screams that the memories beyond the fence are lies. Great, he's going nuts. That's all he needed after the stressful week he'd had— Wait, no, that's not right. His week should have been easy considering all he had to do was ensure food got from point A to point B. He's only a pizza delivery man, the most stressful thing in his life right now is wondering if the customer would answer the door with clothes on and planning to give him a generous tip.

So why did he keep remembering that he'd watched a play being choreographed and directed? Why did he keep remembering a girl with dark hair and bright blue eyes when his girlfriends normally have blonde hair and brown eyes? They have to be Australian too— no, that's wrong. What is up with him? Why does he have two lives in his head? There's the side that stick out most in his memory—a mild mannered young man that's always gotten good grades and never raised a fuss—and then there's the other personality that seems to be forcing itself to the surface—an evil imp obsessed with power and some kind of private island filled with other boys for him to rule over... And that girl again, the chubby one with the pretty features and sarcasm, the one that smelled like fresh rain. He shivers at the thought of her, knowing she had been important somehow yet unable to make a connection to anything in his life.

Something about a necklace? A broken one, expensive and heavy and nothing he would ever buy—hell, he couldn't afford it. Maybe she'd stolen it and that's why she stands out so much? That sounds about right, he'd seen her on the news and it happened to be raining at the time, so he'd connected the scent to her face. He nods a little, beginning to walk with his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. Still, why would he walk way out here in the middle of the night? Maybe he's sleepwalking again. Yeah, that's believable. His doctor had warned that it might start up again at any time. The wind picks up, freezing cold and holding winter's bite. That's weird, it's actually kind of humid tonight. He looks behind him again, expecting to see a giant wall of ice for some reason. He must have dreamed it and his body told him to wake up before he ran into the imaginary danger.

Yeah, that's all it is. After all, it's not like he's actually a dictator in real life. There's no such thing as magic, no giant walls of ice in Maine, and there's certainly no way he would date a girl like the one in his thoughts. She's just not his type. No, Isaiah Marks is a normal human being with a normal human life and job. He works at a pizza place downtown, has an apartment close to the community college, and a steady girlfriend named Tiffany that he's known all his life. She's beautiful, blonde, and brown-eyed with soft skin and a tanned complexion—she's his type, not some thief. His dream of magic and villains and heroes was just that.

Or was it...?

 


	70. Chapter 70

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear, I came close to selling my soul to Crowley just to get this damn chapter written! I know it's definitely not the best one (this whole season is pissing me off for some reason), but it has to be better than the last one I posted. The song Morgan sings is Touch Me by Katharine McPhee and the other song they talk about her singing is Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend by Megan Hilty—the first is from a show called SMASH and the other is from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
> 
> The link for Morgan's outfits: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=154717154

**Gold**

"Well done, Dearie," Gold says, truly meaning his words, as he moves to stand next to Ingrid. A cloud of magic and mirror dust was building in the sky under Ingrid's control, a spell he'd never thought anyone—apart from himself—capable of casting, but here she was, doing a larger spell than the one she had put on poor Anna thirty or so years ago. "It appears you've won." He watches her using his peripheral vision, wondering if that was the only dress she owned or if she had an entire closet of identical white dresses.

"That's big of you," she murmurs," and a welcome change. You're usually so confrontational.

"I prefer reasonable." He clasps his hands in front of him, looking down on Storybrooke. His thoughts stray once more to Morgan, wondering what she remembered from last night if she remembered anything at all. It wouldn't do for her to learn of Gold's plans this early, she may try to stop him because of how close she and Hook have become. "I'd like to make a deal." She gives him a brief glance, looking nonplussed with what she saw.

"You have nothing that I want."

"Perhaps I do. This spell of yours, when it hits... In a few hours from now?"

"Sundown."

"Sundown. Yeah. It'll bring out the darkness of everyone in this town." She gives an amused chuckle, not knowing how bad it would be for her if Morgan was somehow awake and in control of her ability when the spell hits. The girl would draw the magic out of all but Gold, and she'd have enough juice to turn almost everyone here into charred remains.

"It'll do more than that. They will tear themselves apart until everyone is dead." It's Gold's turn to have a smug smirk this time.

" _Not_ everyone." They lock gazes this time, Ingrid looking just the tiniest bit unsure. "You'll have what you want—you alone with your 'sisters' Elsa and Anna doing who knows what, and I'll be here too, spending every waking moment of my immortal life trying to rip your heart out. That is, if you make it through this spell without my daughter turning you into nothing more than a grease spot on the street. You see, she absorbs magic, Dearie, and she'll have yours before that spell has done its worse.

"It seems you  _do_ have something to offer. What do you want?" He faces the town again, the purple-blue cloud hanging overhead.

"To leave."

"Didn't we already make this deal?"

"Yes, but I have an eye for a loophole, and I think I've spotted yours. My wife, grandson, and probably my daughter will be destroyed by this spell, so I want you to allow them to leave with me. You spare the three of them, I spare you misery. Do we have a deal?"

"Enjoy your trip."

**Morgan**

When I finally manage to open my eyes and leave the beach behind me, the magic becomes more obvious—someone had tried to use magic on my to keep me asleep. There's only two people in town able to do that, and I doubt Regina would do it to me, so it must have been Papa. I sit up slowly, my room spinning for a second before righting itself. "Papa," I call out, clutching my head as his magic drains out of my system. "Daddy? Belle?" I hear footsteps just before my door opens and Whale walks inside, dressed in street clothes and his blonde hair rumpled. "Were you sleeping on my couch?"

"Ah, no," he lies with a cough. "Gold asked me to keep an eye on you while he went to figure out if there's a way to stop the Spell of Shattered Sight that's hurtling towards us. Apparently he tried to make you sleep since you haven't had much rest lately and that led to you sleep walking while your body absorbed the magic."  _More like we were experimenting to see if it would be enough to keep me out like a light when the Spell hits us so I don't turn everyone around me into crispy critters_. The doctor shrugs, sitting beside me on the bed. "How are you feeling, Morgan?"

"I feel like I need to remember something important that happened last night, but all I have are pictures of a beach and weird voices that don't make any sense." I blink a few times, rubbing my face with both hands to try and wake myself up a little more. "What time is it?" Whale squints down at his watch, having to hold it a little too close to his face than usual. "Are you hungover, Doc?"

"Mm, little bit." He nods, still squinting. Impatient, I reach out and grab his wrist, bringing the watch wrapped around it close to my own face. "What's it say?"

"Well, it's either eight or six." He arches a brow, giving me a stern look. "I wasn't drinking last night, but I don't have my contacts in, so I can be sure what the hell that's supposed to be."

"Doesn't matter, we're both expected at the theater so you can officially audition."

"What? No, I don't want to be in  _Oklahoma_."

"Relax, we're doing some small skits from that TV show you got Micah hooked on. Our leading lady for that other thing broke her legs falling down a flight of stairs." Whale stands, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and dragging me to my feet with the other. "Get dressed, woman, I don't feel like having Micah's clipboard shoved down my throat because I forgot you here." I get ready as quickly as possible without breaking my neck, deciding to go with my glasses today instead of risking poking my eye out as I attempt to put in my contacts. Once my hair didn't look like absolute shit, I race downstairs and follow Whale out the door, the two of us deciding it'd be safer to just walk to the theater this morning.

* * *

I hear familiar songs being sung when Whale and I walk inside, followed by Micah's tips on hitting the right pitch. He's not as stressed as he was the last time I saw him, but the medication Whale prescribed him after releasing him from the hospital probably has something to do with that. "Ah, there she is." He gives me a lazy half-smile, some of his red-brown hair hanging in his eyes. "Set your bag down and go sing the song she just butchered." He gestures towards the stage with one hand, the girl currently up there holding a lyric sheet giving him a glare that could turn people to ash.

"You got it, boss man," I respond with a thumbs up, passing my backpack off to Whale and climbing up on the stage, sitting on the edge so I can swing my feet back and forth as I sing the song he wanted. It's a provocative number, but I have the right vocal range for it. I clear my throat before nodding at Nicky to press play, the music playing, but the singing absent. " _Look at me, baby, tell me, tell me what you see. Wanna watch, baby, like a, like a movie screen?_ " As I sing, I rise to my feet and perform the dance that goes along with it, the only way for me to really remember the lyrics at the right time. " _Gonna get what I want, want you on your knees. Give it up, baby. Don't you, don't you make a scene. So come and turn me on, baby, be my Marlon Brando. Take a good snap shot, get me from my better angle 'cause I like it hot and you know I love a scandal. Tell me what'cha, what'cha waiting for? Touch me! I wanna feel it on my body, put your hands on me! Come on and love me! You wanna get it, boy, I'll give you till the count of three. Hold me closer, I don't wanna take it slow. I wanna go somewhere we can be alone. Touch me, I want to feel it on my body, put your hands on me._   _Do you like when I'm leaning, leaning into you? Close your eyes, baby, breathe in, breathe in my perfume. Dim the lights, take it slow like a dream come true 'cause tonight Im'ma show you, show you what to do._

 _So come and turn me on, baby, be my Marlon Brando. Take a good snap shot, get me from my better angle 'cause I like it hot and you know I love a scandal. Tell me what'cha, what'cha waiting for?_ _Touch me! I wanna feel it on my body, put your hands on me! Come on and love me! You wanna get it, boy, I'll give you till the count of three. Hold me closer, I don't wanna take it slow. I wanna go somewhere we can be alone. Touch me, I want to feel it on my body, put your hands on me._ _Every move that I could make, you're watching me. Put your hands around my waist. Boy, set me free. Not much more that I can take if you don't take it all._ _Touch me! I wanna feel it on my body, put your hands on me! Come on and love me! You wanna get it, boy, I'll give you till the count of three._ _old me closer, I don't wanna take it slow. I wanna go somewhere we can be alone. Touch me, I want to feel it on my body, put your hands on me._ "

By the time I'm finished, I'm a little lightheaded and have to sit back down as the room begins to spin again. Stupid magic, it shouldn't take this long for it to go away—the Dark One's mojo or not. "That's what I'm talkin' about," Micah states," if the doctor here doesn't get an awkward boner, then you're not doing it right!" Whale's cheeks are bright red and he sends a scowl in Micah's direction while moving my backpack to cover his crotch. "Don't worry about it, Doc, I'd have one too if it was Nicky doing the dancing." He pats Whale on the shoulder with reassuringly. "Okay, Mo-Mo, I had Nicky print off a sheet of lyrics for the song and dance you'll be doin'." With a grin, Nicky folds the printer paper into a plane and tosses it up on the stage from across the room, the plane gliding gracefully through the air until it drops just before reaching my leg. I pick it up with a smile of my own, unfolding it to see what number Micah had in mind.

"Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend?"

"Yeah, I like it when you sing that one."

"Alright, whatever floats your goat."

**Gold**

Gold watches as large glaciers of ice rise from the water, blocking off the last way out for the people of Storybrooke. He'd much rather be at home right now with his daughter, but he knew this is the place he needs to be right now—Whale would watch over Morgan, and if the good doctor tried anything, Gold would personally crucify him in the town square. "No fleeing by boat then," Jones says, stating the obvious and lowering his spyglass. 

"This Snow Queen is good, isn't she," Gold observes, using the moniker that the townspeople have given Ingrid. Gold meets Jones' gaze, seeing the pure hatred and frustration in the pirate's eyes—eyes so achingly similar to Morgan's. He still hates that she looks so much like her pirate father, the man that didn't bother searching for her until she was seven or so. Gold pats the spot on the bench beside him, the arrogance he feels seeping into his smirk. Sure, the pirate and Morgan may be close, but she would forget him in time. "Sit, lad. Don't forget where your heart lies." He pats the black satchel next to the bench this time, pleased with his pun. Jones does so reluctantly, pouting. "Now I have a job for you. You remember how this works." He holds his hand over the space between the two of them, the little container hold the sorcerer's hat appearing in a puff of dark red smoke. 

"The hat? Not Emma." 

"No, no, no," Gold assures him with a smile, liking the control he has over the pirate. If he knew it wouldn't hurt Morgan, he'd have the pirate lie to her by saying he only ever grew close to her in order to get closer to Emma Swan. "Not this time. I have a better plan. Granny's diner is being converted into a temporary hive for the vilest of creatures—the pious little fleas." Let's see how long it take Jones to make the connection.

"Pious? The fairies?" Ah, he's growing a bit smarter.

"Just like any flying pests, if you want to eliminate the infestation, it's important to get them all. Doing so will infuse this hat with enough power to allow me to cleave myself from the dagger and then leave this town with my powers intact, a suddenly urgent undertaking. Now will you assist me?"

"You have my heart. You know I can't refuse." Gold chuckles again, liking this all the more since the pirate wasn't nearly so argumentative.

"Indeed. But here's the rub, Dearie. My wife has just called to inform me that she and Morgan intends to spend the day sequestered amongst said fleas. I doubt either of us want to see two innocent young women sucked into the hat—especially since we have to share one of them, so I need you to stand by while I get them out of the way."

"The fairies are working to stop the Spell." Gold stares at the calm waters even as he feels Jones' glare burning a hole in his head. "You're killing the cure? You do this, you're condemning the entire town, and even your own grandson and my daughter, to whatever happens." Gold does look at him now, wonder if he was so stupid to assume that Gold didn't have a plan.

"No, I'm not leaving Henry and Morgan. I will take the two of them and Belle and I will leave this town to its fate."

"But Emma and everyone else...." Gold sits back on the bench, wondering how Morgan ever found peace with the annoying clashing sound of waves. 

"I don't have time for everyone else. And if I have to chose between everyone else and me—'me' wins every time." He stares at Jones' displeased by the fact the he even pouts like Morgan does. "You can clench your jaw and flash your eyes all you wish...." He brings out the dagger, waving it over the container. "....Because it doesn't change the fact...." The starry design on the top of the container slowly forms the magical hat. "....That we're in this together."

**Morgan**

I look up when I hear footsteps, quickly putting the cigarette out under my boot and waving my arms to make the smoke disperse quicker. Instead of Whale or my step-mom as I head expected, it's my dad that rounds the corner, pausing mid-step when he sees me with his hand behind his back. "Oh, uh, hey," I smile, digging through my bag to find some perfume to mask the evidence—part of it anyway. "What are you doing here?" Dad raises a brow, stuffing whatever's in his hand in the back of his pants so he can use his good hand to smack the back of my head.

"Smoking now, are you," he asks sternly. "Seriously, what should I be expecting next—finding you drunk, smoking whatever it is that your friend Micah does, piercings in strange places?"

"Relax, it's my first cigarette since the first curse was broken, and I think I'm entitled to one since my life has been twist-turned upside down. Oh God, I'm quoting theme songs now." I shake my head with a wince, wishing I could take back what I just said. "The point is—you know what, no. What are you doing here being all secretive and hiding things in your pants, Mister?" He raises both brows now, shifting from foot to foot for a moment. 

"Give me a cigarette and shut up, Vee."

"Uh-huh." I brings the new pack out, letting him select the one he wanted and then lighting it for him. "So, what brings you to the diner?" He shakes his head, not answering as he leans against the wall beside me. "Oh, the whole not talking thing doesn't actually work around here. You may as well spill everything right now so I don't have to find out about your twisted love affair later."

"Love affair," he asks with a laugh.

"Oh yeah, you and Emma are the talk of the town. Well, second to the massive Spell that'll make everyone kill their friends and neighbors, that is." I shrug, taking out another cigarette and staring at it. To smoke or not to smoke, that is the question. I put it between my lips and bring the lighter out right as Whale walks around the corner and spots me, Dad and I quickly tossing the evidence away and pointing at each other. "He did it," I say at the exact same moment he decided to blame me. 

"Fantastic example, Hook," Whale frowns," if you can't get your child to behave, you may as well join them in their delinquency."

"What do you want, Whale," Dad sneers, wrapping a protective arm around my shoulders.

"I was told to tell Morgan that her father and Belle are making their grand exit." Whale's gaze turns to me now, softening. "He wants you to go with him, so he can find out a way to keep your little ability from destroying the entire town."

"Right," I nod, discreetly stuffing the pack of cigarettes in Dad's jacket pocket before giving him a hug. "I'll see you when this is done," I whisper in his ear, hugging him tightly and afraid to leave him," be careful and avoid everybody at all costs until it's safe."

"Same to you, baby girl." He pulls back, his hands on my shoulders. "I don't care what happens today, just know I love you more than anyone else in all of the worlds combined." He kisses my forehead, lips lingering for a moment before he pulls completely away. "Go with Gold, he'll keep you safe." I know those words basically killed him to have to say them, but he's right. 

"I'll see you when this is over." With one last look at my dad, I turn and follow Whale to where my papa and Belle are waiting out in front of Granny's.

"Where were you hiding," Papa asks with a forced smile, taking my hand in his and leading Belle and I towards his shop.

"Out back, I needed a moment without people." He leans his head close to me, sniffing. "I might have had a few puffs of a cigarette, but I didn't get a whole one."

"Mm-hm, we're having a talking once this Spell has run its course. Belle should be safe in here." 

"So you can keep the Spell out," Belle asks as we reach the pawnshop. 

"No, but we must be separated. As Dark One, I may be immune to the Spell, but the two of you can still hurt me." He turns to face his wife, allowing me a moment to pop some gum in my mouth. "Go inside and stay in the backroom. I'm gonna seal it with a protection spell, so no one can get to you."

"Okay."

"Look, I-I'll be back soon, and then we're gonna be together—" He pulls me over, so that I'm standing partially between him and Belle. " _All_ of us will be together, and we're gonna be fine. I promise." The three of us share a group hug before Belle disappears into the shop. "You need to go to our house, put on the gloves that I have laying out on your bed. They should stop you from absorbing magic, and once they're on, only I can take them off."

"Yes, Papa," I nod, running off in the right direction. 

The Spell begins to hit not long after I make it inside, sealing the entrance to make sure no one can get inside while I'm vulnerable. The gloves are a simple affair of lilac-colored lace, easy to slip on and a seemingly perfect fit. I can already feel a wall building inside me, keeping the magic I possess just out of reach, the wall growing higher and higher as I sink down on my bed. Fidget and Pup are locked in separate rooms, safe from each other in case the Spell affects animals like it does humans. Feeling too weak for words due to the lack of magic and my fathers, I roll onto my side and grasp my pillow tightly. And then it starts, the lights flickering and shards of what looks like glass falling into my room through the vents and windows. And just like that, my fear was gone and I feel more confident than I ever have with rage boiling.

Storybrooke had better watch out because I'm out for blood.


	71. Chapter 71

I sneer down at my outfit, the whole thing seeming too cheery for my current mood, but the lace gloves on my arms prevent me from changing with magic. Cursing the idiot that created the gloves, I move into my closet, shedding clothes along the way and changing into the darkest things in my wardrobe—a black top with a lace overlay, the shortest skirt I own in a dark gray, fishnet stockings and ankle boots. "Well, I certainly look older," I remark to no one, admiring my reflection for a moment before moving out of my room and downstairs to the front hall. With a smile—darker than any that have appeared on my face before—I push on the front door, expecting it to swing open like usual, but it's stuck fast. "What?!" I try it again, beating on it until my hands are sore, but the wood remains intact. "I'm not gonna be stopped by a hunk of wood!"

I look around me, storming into the kitchen and dragging a chair back into the entryway, using it to smash the glass one side of the sealed door. Once I knew I wouldn't chance being cut, I step through the new opening and begin a stroll through town. "Out of my way," one of the citizens snarls at me, shouldering past. I don't waste any time, wrapping an arm around the man's neck and giving it a sharp tug until I hear the satisfying crack of a broken vertebra, letting the limp body fall to the ground. It's nice for a warm up, but I want more, I want to kill the people that start shit around here and leave it for everyone else to clean up! Snow White, Prince Charming, and their brat of a daughter will be dead before this night is over—with or without my magic, I'll kill them gladly and save myself anymore problems.

"Gold," a girl about my age shouts a few minutes later, her long hair tangled and her mascara running down her face. "It's your fault, you got Vincent killed! You're no better than a tramp!"

"I don't have time for you, Kylie," I snarl threateningly," but if you have a death wish, I'll be happy to oblige." The blonde gets in a fighting stance, her fists brought up like she was ready to box. With another dark smile, I wait for her to make the first move. She strikes out with her right fist and I catch her wrist in both hands, my foot planted in her stomach to make her drop as I twist the arm until it's dislocated and broke in at least one place. "Don't pick fights when you can't win, honey." I bring my foot down hard against her head, sending her into unconsciousness. Someone else can finish her off, I have better things to do with my time.

**Gold**

When he saw his daughter walking down the street, he realized that he'd forgotten to run and seal the house so she couldn't escape. Cursing under his breath, Gold hurries out of his shop and after the teenage ball of destruction walking in the direction of the Sheriff's station. "Morgan," he calls, hoping to gain her attention.

"Fuck off, old man," she growls without looking back, making quick work of sending Sneezy into unconsciousness and expertly dodging Granny as she runs down the street. It's amazing how little she cared and how easily she dispatched the people in her way. It appears Killian's fighting lessons had stuck after all, but she still doesn't have magic. The lilac gloves fit perfectly, as he knew they would when he crafted them two days ago. He knew she would turn Storybrooke into a ghost town if set loose without her magic intact, but now the most she can do is kill people with her bare hands. Not exactly comforting, but it's certainly better than nothing. He catches up with her as someone bleeding out on the sidewalk grasps her ankle, attempting to drag her down. A small blast of magic from Gold has both of them asleep, Gold barely managing to catch his daughter before she fell to the concrete. She's heavier than he remembered her being, but he's still able to get her back into the safety of the shop and lay her gently on the floor in front of his counter. Maybe it's not the best place in the world to put her, but Belle's sleeping form is taking up the cot in the backroom.

Confident Morgan would be out until he decided otherwise, Gold moves back behind the counter, continuing to pack his potions into a protective case that would keep the fragile glass bottles from shattering and mixing together once they left town. Not long after that, Killian Jones walks into the shop, casting their daughter a cautious look. "Why is my daughter unconscious on the floor," he asks, pointing down at Morgan with raised brows.

"I figured you'd prefer that than having her running around town like she was earlier. What took you so long to get here?" Killian shuts the door, the bell above it ringing and making Morgan shift slightly in her slumber, the sound transferring to her dream. Not wanting a repeat of the other night, Gold uses a bit more magic to make her fall into a deeper sleep where their voices wouldn't find her.

"Well, it's like swimming with sharks out there. The minute one of them tastes blood, they'll tear each other apart." The pirate kneels on the floor beside Morgan, brushing a few strands of hair off her face, the dark hair making her complexion seem pale in contrast. Gold ignores the motion, continuing to pack and letting the Captain have a tender moment with Morgan, knowing it may well be his last.

"Well, count your blessing you're not one of them."

"Why was I spared the cloud's curse?" He has Morgan's head in his lap now, cradling her gently against him even though she has no idea what's happening around her. Morgan lets out a soft sigh, not reacting as Killian lays her head back down on the floor before standing once more.

"Because your heart wasn't in your chest, Dearie." Gold sends the pirate a look that suggests he should have already connected the dots. "It was here in my shop with me." He rests a hand on the satchel holding the organ, hearing the faint sound of its healthy beating. "In protective custody, so to speak." He moves on to the books next, putting them in a different bag after clasping the case containing his potions closed.

"What is it you want, Crocodile?"

"Once I finish packing, I'm gonna take Belle and Morgan to the town line." He moves to his safe, pushing the portrait covering it out of his way. "I need you to find Henry and do the same thing."

"So you still think you're leaving?" Gold chuckles at Killian's disbelieving tone, pulling out the hat and his dagger from the safe.

"Oh, ye of little faith." The objects in his hands join the thick books in his bag. "Tomorrow night, when the stars in the sky align with the stars in the hat, I shall finally cleave myself from this dagger and be on the other side of that ice wall before dawn."

"Are you saying there's a bloody way out of here?"

"Dark One always finds a way." And Morgan had prompted the thoughts of escape when she revealed that she was able to push Pan out of town by splitting a brief hole through the ice.

"Well, if the  _Dark One_ is so powerful, why doesn't he magic his grandson to his side?" Killian's sarcasm isn't missed, his bitter tone giving Gold a sense of arrogance even if he feels irritated overall.

"Because that would require me knowing where his mothers have locked him away for safekeeping. Now unless you really, really have no need for that tongue, I suggest you slither back outside into the hostile current and find Henry." He'd moved closer to the pirate as he spoke, poking his chest and forcing the taller man to take half a step back. He holds up a vial of red powder, handing it over to the pirate. "You'll be needing this." Jones takes it from him, stuffing it in his pocket angrily. He's obviously less than pleased to have to do Gold's dirty work, but there's a certain satisfaction Gold gets, knowing the pirate can't refuse.

"You won't win. Villains never do."

"Don't be ridiculous, Dearie. When Belle and the children wake up tomorrow morning in New York City, they won't remember a thing about tonight." He moves back to continue his packing behind the counter, taking care to grab the worn copy of  _Inkheart_  and placing it in the bag for Morgan. "I'll tell them the Snow Queen destroyed Storybrooke, whilst I saved everyone I could." He laughs a little, giving Jones a smile. "I won't be a villain, I'll be a hero."

"You really expect Aveena to believe that when she's one of the people in this town that knows all of your little tells?"

"What reason would she have to doubt me?" With one last glare at him and a soft look at Morgan, Jones storms out of the shop, slamming the door behind him. "So temperamental and impulsive, that's what got him in this mess to begin with."

**Pup and Fidget**

It took a lot to rile the dog up, Fidget had came to respect his cheery disposition, but at this moment, he would gladly give the dog a good scratch. As though being stuck in his human's bathroom wasn't bad enough, now he had to deal with Pup's annoying growling and barking coming from the walk-in closet. Noise carries in this house, the walls not doing their job of blocking the noises out. Irritated, Fidget paces back and forth in the bathroom, the fur on his back standing straight up and his tail twitching impatiently. He's been dealing with that mutt for so long that he just wants to be done with it all, to take his human and run until no one in this backwater town had a chance of finding them. Actually, he'd be happy to leave his human here as well since she seemed to thrive in dangerous situations. As soon as he gets out of this damn bathroom, Fidget would leave everything behind him and start a new life!

He could find a pretty Calico and have a litter or two of kittens, teach them not to trust those useless humans. He lets out a hiss, jumping up to pace the back of the toilet, his claws making a tapping sound on the porcelain. They're nice and shop, Fidget eager to sink them into the soft flesh of Pup's throat, to watch as the life leaves the dog's big brown eyes. Why did his human have to bring that filthy animal into Fidget's home? It's a disgrace to have an oaf lumbering about and eating anything he can get his teeth around. His human's owner should never have allowed Pup inside, he should have been cold-hearted and refused her pouting look. The longer he's stuck alone in the bathroom, the angrier he grows, taking to slicing through the shower curtain with his claws. Then a new noise catches his attention. There came a series of loud bangs just before the crack of splitting wood was heard followed by a short whimper of pain from the mongrel.

So, he'd managed to break out of his prison, how wonderful for him. Maybe he would wander out into traffic and get himself ran over! Fidget's ears perk up when he hears scratching against the bathroom door, the knob barely moving as the scratching gets louder.  _Of course_ , Fidget recalls,  _Pup had quickly learned how to manipulate the doorknob until the doors of the house swung open_. The bathroom door is no different, the wood slamming against the wall and the snarling beast stepping inside, his claws mimicking the sound Fidget's had made earlier against the tile of the floor. Finally, Fidget could show this brute just how powerful cats can be.

**Gold**

Gold hears Morgan gasp, watching from the corner of his eye as she bolts up into a sitting position and looks around her wildly. Gold, standing a few feet away, continues stuffing objects in a bag, sending her an unconcerned look over his shoulder. "Stay still, Morgan, I don't need you collapsing on me," he says, zipping the bag closed before turning to face his confused daughter. The anger that filled her eyes earlier has vanished and he knows that she's been left in a state of confusion as to how exactly she managed to get all the way over here without being shot by someone. Gold crosses the room, kneeling in front of her and removing the gloves that stopped at the crease of her elbow.

"I thought you said you traded the only anti-magic gloves you had years ago," Morgan says, rubbing her head.

"I made a new pair to suit you before the Spell hit. I figured you could do without the guilt of killing someone." She winces at his words, moving to lean against the glass display case. "I take it that I was a bit too late to stop that?" Morgan just nods, too exhausted to do much else. No matter, taking away memories was an easy task and he'd do it if only to keep his child from turning evil quite so quickly. Excalibur has already disappeared, showing Gold just how much his baby girl has changed in the past two years. "I'll go and fetch a blanket from the backroom, you need to get some rest as your magic builds back up." A cat nap would help her get back the energy that the Spell and gloves had drained from her. She's back asleep within seconds, snoring softly when Gold returns with an extra blanket to lay over her. Not liking the outfit her evil self had chosen, he uses magic to manipulate and change it into something that suited her better. A floral print skirt that was a pale peach in color, and white tank top with small black print serving as the background for a rib cage with the dark red heart being the only color,  and a pair of white flats to keep her feet warm. 

So his plan hadn't worked out in the end, but he just needed to modify it to fit the current circumstances. Once he had Morgan lying down again and made sure she didn't have a fever, he moves to check on Belle. She's still under the effect of his magic, the serene look on her face giving him hope. He turns when he hears the front door open and shut, finding Hook standing beside Morgan's sleeping form. "Henry got away," the pirate says solemnly. 

"So you failed. At kidnapping a child." How hard could it be to kidnap a little boy like Henry? If David Nolan and Mary-Margaret could still a child from a dragon, then this halfwit pirate should have been able to snag a boy with no magical abilities or protection. 

"Well, perhaps you could say my heart wasn't in it." There was the sarcasm again, something everyone around here seemed to fall back on when they were upset—himself and Morgan included, though Morgan used sarcasm whenever possible. 

"The Snow Queen's plan also failed, but mine won't." Gold takes a few steps forward, moving so that he's closer to Morgan to show the pirate just who she belonged to. Gold had raised her, given her a life worthy of a princess, something she never would have had a chance at if Hook had been able to keep her. Hook knows this, Gold can see it in the way he holds himself around the girl. "Enjoy this snowfall, Dearie.  It'll be your last." Hook's eyes never leave Gold's in a show of bravado. 

"Then grant me one dying wish."

"I'm not in the business of making deals with you anymore."

"Leave Emma and the rest of Storybrooke be. There's no need to harm them."

"When I step over that town line with my magic intact, Emma  _and_ Storybrooke will have nothing to fear from me." He takes another few steps forward, gazing fearlessly at the taller man. "As long as they don't get in my way. But I can't make that same promise for the rest of the world." With one last look at the pirate, Gold shoulders past him and to the door of the shop, opening it to look out on the town as the snow continues to fall.

"There's something you should know before this happens." Gold pauses, his overcoat slung over one arm. "After I've been killed, I'll still be watching over my daughter. If you do anything to harm her, just one tiny thing that causes  _my_ daughter pain, I'll make you wish you had died years ago, Crocodile." Gold says nothing, pausing in the doorway a moment longer before stepping outside and allowing the door to close behind him. 


	72. Chapter 72

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was insanely frustrating to write, partially because I really hate the story line of this season. It just feels like the writers are trying too hard to make the Charmings seem perfect and they're failing miserably. After it's completely finished, I'll probably go back through and rewrite the plot of it and include more Pan since he's my favorite non-Storybrooke villain. Seriously though, why couldn't the writers bring him back instead of the Wicked Bitch? Sorry if I missed any mistakes, I'll probably go back through tomorrow and proof read.

Restrained anger courses through Gold as he squeezes Hook's heart in his hand, the pirate's pain cooling him off somewhat. "They didn't leave," he gasps, referring to the trio from Arendelle. "The Snow Queen mucked up the boarder." He squeezes harder, fighting back the urge to just crush it and be done with this, but he can't, not quite yet. "Once you cross, there's no c-coming back." Gold relents, knowing that Morgan should be stopping by soon before she meets her theater buddy at Granny's for breakfast. He places the heart back into the satchel he's been keeping it in, sealing it closed so that only he could open it and retrieve the organ.

"If only the Snow Queen had succeeded," Gold says quietly," everything would be much simpler."

"Yes, perfect cover for your exit. What better way to keep Aveena to yourself than to tell her that I was killed by the Snow Queen? Too bad for you that everybody survived. Sorry for the inconvenience." Hook gives Gold a smile, looking all too happy for Gold's liking.

"And what about our friends from Arendelle?"

"Well, they're still searching for the portal back."

"Well, that  _is_ a problem." All it would take to bring his plan to ruins is that nosy little red-head to speak up. "Can't have that Anna running around town."

"She knows, doesn't she?" Hook seems to take pleasure in that, like he could do anything about it. "She knows what you were doing, cleaving yourself from the dagger so you could leave with your power. Emma told me Belle confessed to knowing Anna, and even my Vee has stated that the name was familiar to her even if the face is not. She's not stupid, Gold, if not Emma, then Aveena will figure it out and..." He chuckles, shaking his head a little. "When my daughter gets angry about something, she goes all out. Imagine what she would do to you if she finds out that you plan on killing her daddy."

"And what do you think she would do? After all, she's only known you for about a year and a half—I'm the one that was there for her when she was sick or hurt, the one who soothed her nerves after she had a bad dream. She may be fond of you, may miss you for a while, but I'm the one she loves the most out of all the people in this town. I'm her papa, and you're just some pirate that kidnapped her, got her hit by a car, and nearly murdered me in front of her. As for Miss Swan, I won't hesitate to break her pretty little neck if she gets in my way, so I suggest you see to it that she doesn't. Now, go and make sure Anna stays away from my shop while I wake my wife." Hook scowls at him, turning away and walking to the door. "And Captain, if you tell my daughter anything she doesn't need to know, I'll make sure your precious Emma is there when I crush your heart tonight. And then I'll crush hers." Not long after the pirate had left, Morgan was walking inside, smiling with new-found confidence. "Good morning, sweetheart."

"Morning, Papa!" Oh yes, she would side with him no matter what he did.

**Dark Castle**

Aveena sits on the very edge of the table, swinging her legs back and forth as she watches Belle open the cabinet door to reveal the treasures stored behind them. Rumpelstiltskin had always told Aveena that it was none of her business what he brought back, but her papa is gone at the moment and Belle is just as curious as the eight year old. Of course, she knew the second he arrived, the familiar tingle of his magic making her turn her head as Rumpelstiltskin popped into existence. He moved quietly, holding a finger up to his lips as he sneaks up on Belle, stopping a few feet behind the maid. "Don't cut yourself, Dearie," he states, making her jump and spin around with the sword in hand. It's not nearly as nice as Excalibur, but no sword ever would be.

"I am so sorry," Belle gasps, the point of the sword resting against the floor," I thought—"

"You thought I would be away for a few more days and it would be fine to play with my... Toys." He walked toward her with every word, snatching the sharp blade out of her her before she truly did cut herself. Aveena was used to his possessiveness and she knew he would do nothing to her, so she sat unconcerned and pulled her book on Dwarfish closer to her. If Rumple finds out she hadn't studied the language at all, she'd be up all night despite any of Trista's protests otherwise.

"Don't be so upset," Aveena says, flipping through the pages of the book in boredom," you were supposed to be gone longer and it was my idea."

"No it wasn't," Belle confesses when Rumple's gaze turns to the girl," I'm the one who was curious and I'm the one that decided to snoop around."

"Well, I lied, I just wanted to see how you would fare if I left you here. Apparently you also decided to stop cleaning." He runs a finger along the table that Aveena was sitting on, gazing at it in disgust before wiping it off on the skirt of Aveena's dress. "I also have a feeling that you didn't decide to snoop on your own, my darling daughter had a hand in that." He gives a playful tug on Aveena's hair, the little girl slapping his hand away with a giggle.

"It's just that you have so many things here from all over the world. We were curious." Rumple keeps his back to the maid, setting the sword down carefully and giving his daughter a wink. "And... You never talk about them." He turns to face her, not seeing her point.

"Well, you're the help and she's too little to handle most of my things." Belle seems to have no fear of him anymore, storming up to him and poking his chest in such a way that had Aveena impressed.

"And you're rude."

"Well, I could be  _much_ worse." Even Aveena knew the bite was gone out of his words, he cared about her and Aveena hoped he could see that soon even if she enjoyed their little arguments. It was so interesting to see how he reacted when someone spoke up against him when it wasn't herself. At least Belle's head reaches his shoulders. He walks a few feet away with Belle following after him and Aveena turning on the table to watch the situation play out.

"But you're not." The maid hops up on the table, scooting Aveena closer and wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders. Aveena liked Belle, she wasn't as timid as Trista yet she never raised her voice as often as Aveena had to in order to be heard. "Look, you have seen the world—something that I've  _always_  wanted to do—yet you share nothing." That's because his travels rarely end happily, Aveena's been with him a handful of times and there's always been a threat hanging over their heads.

"Mouthy, mouthy. And foolishly brave." He's in a good mood, at least. Whatever he ends up doing won't be harsh or cruel this time.

"No, if you were going to kill me, you would have done it long ago." Rumple makes a face, not liking just how brave his maid has gotten or the fact that it inspired Aveena to act out. "Now, tell me what you've seen. How was your trip to Camelot?" At the mention of Camelot, Aveena's pale eyes flick to the sword resting on top of the cabinet, her lips forming a smile as she remembers just how perfect it felt in her hand.

"Good for me," her papa answers brightly," not so good for Camelot." So Morgana is still acting out, or her son is, anyway. Rumple walks a few feet away from the table, a gauntlet appearing in his hand as the red smoke of his magic clears away. "A souvenir. Clean it for me, will you?" He hands the gauntlet off to Belle, but Aveena leans close and spots the blood dried on the metal. It had been removed forcefully and she wouldn't be surprised if a hand was still inside of it.

"W-w-what is it?"

"It's a magic gauntlet with a very specific power." Rumple moves his hands dramatically as he speaks, the motions making Aveena's smile widen much to her papa's happiness. She knew he did some silly things to keep her mind off the darkness that surrounds her, he always told her that she was the purest thing in his life and he wanted her to stay that way. "It can locate anyone's greatest weakness—for example, if I asked after Aveena's, it would lead me to the pantry where she has hidden strawberries to eat as a midnight snack." Aveena blushes, ducking her head to avoid the look her papa sends her.

"Why do you need this? With all your power, you could destroy any foe."

"But he can't make them work for him with so little effort," Aveena remarks, her fingers moving over the Dwarf runes drawn on the pages of her book. "The gauntlet will provide the weakness and Papa will press on it until the person gives in."

"Exactly," Rumple states with a grin. "That gauntlet will point me in the right direction and with it I will be able to manipulate whoever I wish."

**Morgan**

"So, we're starting the whole shindig with Nicky singing On Lexington and Fifty-Second Street," I ask, doodling on the margins of the notebook. Micah grunts in confirmation, staring out the window of Granny's and twirling his spoon around in his soup. "And then it's Camille doing Crazy Dreams?" Another grunt and I put a check mark beside Camille's name before I look up at my best friend. His messy hair is covered by a black beanie and the gray shirt he had on is torn around the wrists in places. He's daydreaming about something, and Micah's daydreams rarely include bunnies and lollipops. "And we're all set to sacrifice a goat tomorrow at one to make sure the gods bless our firstborns?"

"Sounds good," he mumbles distractedly. I roll my eyes, picking my fork up off the table and thumping the top of his head with it to bring him back to the real world. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"You dragged me into this mess, so you damn well better pay attention when I'm making an effort to organize your shit." He scowls, rubbing his head and grabbing the fork from me, tossing it over his shoulder. "Now that I have your attention, what's got you so distracted today?"

"Nicky remembers our old life and... That stupid Spell brought the memories back, so they were cast in a bad light." He sighs, dropping his head down to rest it on his arms. "It's bad, Kiddo, I don't think we'll be able to work through this."

"Bullshit, you guys are the only couple in this town that hasn't blown up at each other since regaining your memories."

"We did last night. I had a hard time staying away from evil stuff after Rumple took away my immortality and Gauntlet, I strayed more than once and it resulted in the death of a palace guard or two. Nicky remembers that and I don't think he'll be able to forgive me this time." I reach out and give his hand a squeeze, just holding it while it was peaceful.

"If anyone can work through this, it's you and Nicky. I'm not gonna give you some pep talk about hope or faith, but there's a reason that you were there that day that Jasmine was killed. It wasn't dumb luck or destiny, it's because you and Nicky have always been drawn to each other. Maybe you just need to remind him of the chemistry between you two—take him out on a date, something sweet and cute. Talk things out tomorrow and just spend the rest of today having a good time with each other." Micah raises his head just enough that he could see me through the red-brown hair hanging in front of his eyes. "You got this, Mike."

"I love you, Mo."

"Love you too, now get going."

**Killian**

"You may have got the best of me this time, Dark One," Killian growls as the pair follow the walking broom into the mansion," but I promise you, in the next life, it won't be so pleasant for you." Gold chuckles, unaffected by Killian's words despite how serious the pirate was.

"Well then," he laughs," given my immortality, you'll have quite the wait amongst the fire and brimstone." Gold uses his magic to open a side door, allowing all of them inside with the broom still leading the way. Its bristles works as its legs and it has a pair of arms extending out from its stick body. It was a ridiculous looking thing, but it did the job well enough.

"If I am to die, at least give me all the information. Whose house is this?"

"A powerful sorcerer. He brought the Snow Queen from Arendelle to this world, which means his magic is strong enough to move between that world and ours. There's a portal around here somewhere. We just need to find it." As though on cue, the broom waggles its wooden fingers and a door shimmers into existence, the designs painted onto its dark wood looking foreign to Killian's eyes. "There." Killian doesn't approach it, everything happening far too fast for his liking. He'd rather spend the time he has left with his daughter and Emma.

He needed to be sure that Aveena knew just how much he loved her, even if he's only known her for a year and a half. He wanted to watch more movies with her, listen to her singing, anything at all that she loved to do. And Emma... The feisty blonde is one of the only things in this world that's keeping him sane. His feelings for her run deeper than he thought possible, she's one of the most beautiful women that he's ever had the pleasure of meeting. He needs the two women in his life to know just how much they mean to him.

**Morgan**

I was hoping not to run into anyone on my way to the docks, but things never go in my favor. Hell, if I was in the Hunger Games, I'd be killed right after I stepped off the platform. A trio of people were coming my way, and the red-head in the middle skipped just a little faster to reach me. She looked familiar, like I knew her back in the Enchanted Forest. "Hey, I remember you," she grins, her, Elsa, and a blonde man stopping in front of me and blocking the way to the docks. I move to look past them at the sidewalk, wondering if it was worth it to get hit by a car just to get away from this too chipper woman and her two accomplices. "You're Rumpelstiltskin's little girl, right?"

"Um, I'm not sure I want to answer that question. I usually come close to death if I say yes."

"Oh, don't worry, I don't like hurting people."

"Oh God, now I remember you. You're that peppy chick that threatened my papa with a sword all because you didn't want to hold up your end of his deal." This is the Anna chick everyone's been talking about and I bet the blonde guy is her fiancé, Kristoff. Elsa gives Anna a shocked look, her eyes going even wider than usual. "Why don't you and your buddies go skip into the sunset and leave the rest of us normal not happy-go-lucky people alone." I shoulder past them, forced to stop when Kristoff latches onto my wrist.

"You can talk to her like that," he states," apologize."

"Do you really want to mess with me now that I'm back to my full strength, blondie?" A small zap from my magic has him releasing me and shaking his sore hand. "I'm not in the mood to deal with the human ice berg here or her chihuahua of a sister, so I'd suggest you leave me alone. I don't take kindly to people that threaten my papa's life, I stabbed the last person that did it." With one last warning glare at the trio, I continue on my way to the docks. It's not until I'm seated on the damp wood and listening to the soothing sound of the waves that I realize I can't remember what the deal Anna had struck with Papa was. It had to be something important for him to anger her enough that the goody two-shoes drew a sword on him. Something about his dagger?

**Killian**

Killian was hoping to finish this task without running into his daughter because if anyone could find out about him doing Gold's bidding, it's her. As it is, he doesn't even have control over his voice, he's a puppet and Gold has the strings well in hand. Aveena will be able to tell, he just knows it. So when he walks into Granny's and the first thing he sees is his daughter chatting away on her phone, his stomach drops and dread pours over him. What would Gold do to her if she finds out the plan? "Swan," he's forced to say in greeting, his mouth working without his command. As it is, his girlfriend is sharing a booth with the Arendelle trio, looking up at Killian's voice. "Come celebrate, for I may not be the Savior, but I've just saved the day." He waits for her at the bar, all too aware of his daughter's eyes resting on him. Severely needing a drink to settle his nerves, he pours some rum from his flask into two tea cups, sliding one in Emma's direction when she joins him.

"Okay," she says," what exactly are we celebrating?"

"The portal to Arendelle. I found it." He clinks his glass against hers, raising it slightly. "So, bottoms up." He finishes his in one go, the rum having a numbing effect on his growing headache.

"You... Found a portal?"

"Well, I found Gold, and he told me where to locate one." Aveena raises her brows, but he's not sure if it's because of what he just said or if it was something the person she's talking to said. Seated a few seats down, she could hear everything he said well enough to know that he's probably lying. "A door in the ballroom of that lakeside mansion. Yes, it appears that our Rumpelstiltskin has turned over a new leaf." He wanted to cut his own tongue out for just saying that, the words like poison.

"Apparently dozens of leaves." Emma looks unsure about it all, the good timing seeming too suspicious to be a good thing. "You sure we can trust him?" Killian presses his lips in a thin line, wanting to keep the words trapped behind his teeth, but Gold has his heart and Killian is useless when it comes to resisting.

"Positive. The crocodile truly has changed. He gave me a long-winded explanation about a portal, about how it brought the, uh, Snow Queen into this land... Which I don't recall." He watches over Emma's head as Aveena stuffs her phone in the pocket of the too-short shorts she's wearing. It appears his daughter is in a somber mood this morning, dressed mostly in black and white colors. "But the important thing is, it works," he continues after a moment of studying his daughter, the brunette studying him in turn. Pale blue eyes met across the crowded diner and he knew that she knew. "All they have to do is walk through it."

"then we should go." Emma pushes away from the bar, not even getting a half a step away when Killian speaks again.

"Brilliant. You do that. I, alas, bruised myself during the curse. Really need to get it seen to." He tries to walk out per Gold's demand, but Emma places a hand on his shoulder, making him stay still as she cups his cheek. He didn't like this, having no control over his body with Emma so tantalizingly close to him.

"Hey, Killian. What's wrong? You're acting strange."

"Nothing." He gives her a sad smile, trying his hardest to memorize her face. "I'm fine." He leans in, placing a feather-light kiss against her soft lips. "see you around, love." Not wanting to leave her yet, wanting to regain a sense of control in a awkward situation, he grabs her wrist, giving it a squeeze until he's forced to let go and walk out. Unfortunately for him, Aveena follows him out, jogging to keep up with him even as he quickens his pace to escape. He can't face his daughter right now, not when Gold might make him say something that would break her heart. "I don't have time to waste right now," he calls to the teen over his shoulder," I have a doctor's appointment set up with Whale."

"Wait," Morgan huffs, latching onto his arm and forcing him to stop or drag her along behind him. Killian closes his eyes for a moment, not ready to face his daughter and tell her another lie. She'd slowly losing out to the darkness inside her and he didn't want to add to it by lying to her now. He fully blames the Dark One, if Aveena had been allowed to stay with him, then she might have been spared this fate. Then again, Pan took a liking to her, he may have kidnapped her if Killian had taken her with him to Neverland so long ago. "What's up with you? You're so stiff lately." Aveena releases his arm, but she stays standing in front of him to block the way he wanted to go.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." He takes the chance to look her over, fully disapproving with her choice in clothing. "Where on earth are the rest of those shorts, young lady? They're too bloody short for this time of year."

"I don't really feel the temperature so much anymore, I'm running on the warm side, I guess." She shrugs it off, tugging the white beanie down to cover a little more of her loose hair. "Mind if I walk with you to the hospital? The theater is on the way there and I'm supposed to remind Whale that we're not having rehearsals tonight since Micah and Nicky are having a date night."

"Actually, I'd like to be alone for a little while. I need..." He looks past her at the clock tower where Gold wants to meet later tonight to finish this reluctant partnership. "I need a moment by myself." The happiness in her seems to fade and she looks down at her shoes, her thumbs hooked in the belt loops of the black shorts. "I-I'll talk to you later, Morgan." And as he walks off, he knows for certain that Gold has just made the biggest slip up today. Killian has always refused to call Aveena by her curse name, preferring instead to use her nickname or the name her mother gave her. She's going to figure it all out.

 **Morgan** — **Later That Night**

I tug my scarf off my arm, waving a hand over it until it was glowing a faint blue and hovering in the air in front of me. Something's up with my fathers and I plan on finding out what that is—hell, when Dad is calling me Morgan, I know something is off since he hates that name. "Stay here guys," I mumble to Pup and Fidget as they stare up at me, both of them letting out little whining noises and scratching at the floor. "It might be dangerous and I don't want y'all getting hurt." After a moment of trying to open the front door and pushing animals back so they don't get out, I let out a frustrated groan. "Fuck it, I could use the back up. Let's go!" Fidget scrambles to find purchase on Pup's back as we run out into the cool air of the night, following the scarf that still half-belongs to my dad. It floats on an invisible wind, leading us through town to its very heart, dropping into my open palms in front of the clock tower. "Why does everything revolve around this place?"

Pup gives a soft bark, looking up at me with his tongue hanging out. Fidget mirrors the sound in his own way, hopping down and sitting on my foot as though telling me to stay put and not go in. It was tempting, to stay out of the mess my fathers have created and go home, but if something bad happens to one of them I could've stopped it, then I'd feel like total shit. Gently, I nudge Fidget off my foot and crack open one of the doors, slipping in and shutting it before the animals could follow me inside. The library is dark, only the moonlight streaming in through the windows helping me navigate to the stairs that lead to the clock tower. It's not until I see what's happening that everything clicks into place. Dad and Papa are standing with the retractable roof open to reveal the stars above, Papa holding a heart in one hand. A familiar hat is placed on a wooden crate between the two men, Papa's dagger held in his free hand.

"No," Dad gasps, spotting me over Papa's head, his eyes widening a fraction. I stare with wide eyes as Papa turns to face me, guilt flickering in my papa's eyes for a moment before they go hard. "Aveena, run!"

"Be quiet," Papa growls at him, using his magic to pull me forward and then freeze me in place against the railing, part of the metal wrapping around my wrist to keep me where I am. "I had hoped this wouldn't happen, but I suppose you needed to see it. Don't worry, little bird, everything will be as it should be and we'll leave this town—just you, me, and Belle." With another wave of his hand, the gloves from earlier were in place on my hands, the lace sucking the magic out of me and refusing to let me undo Papa's magic. He sets his dagger down on another crate, helping the hat to float up in the air far above our heads, the galaxy trapped inside it exploding outwards and forming a sky inside the building. I can feel the tears stinging my eyes as I recall the last time I was forced to watch the death of my parent, I was frozen just like this, but last time it was my papa I was losing. "It's time." A beam of light hits Papa, jerking him slightly, but it dissipates when the elevator doors open and the Golden Duo steps out.

"Gold, stop," Emma shouts, Pup and Fidget running out after her and Snow, the pair of animals taking up their places on either side of me. Pup is growling at Papa, his teeth showing and his normally warm eyes daring Papa to try and harm me.

"I'm sorry. I can't. I've waited too long for this. And I'm too close." He freezes them in place next, Emma's arm raised as she tried to throw some magic at him, but it wasn't enough. "Well, maybe not everything has went to plan, but this next part.... I'm really gonna enjoy." He has a dark smile twisting his lips and Daddy is sending me worried looks. Papa squeezes the heart in his hand, Daddy dropping to his knees with his good hand fisting in his shirt, letting out a cry of pain. No, no, no, no! No, I don't want this to be happening! This has to be a dream, it's a dream, I'm dreaming. And then the cries stop, Papa just holding the heart in his hand even though I can tell he was struggling to close his fingers around it. "I don't understand. Why can't I—"

"Because I commanded you not to," Belle interrupts, standing just behind Papa with the dagger in her hand. "Drop the heart." Papa does just that, a look of utter betrayal on his face—Dad barely manages to catch it before it hits the ground, gasping as he rises to his feet and limping over to me. "Now let everyone go." Another wave of Papa's magic hits me and I'm allowed to move again, drawing in a deep breath that comes out as a gasping sob, my legs collapsing under me. Daddy tears the gloves off of me, throwing them over the railing and clutching me tightly. The galaxy above us collapses, funneling back into the strange container that once held the magical hat. "Now you can take us to the town line because we need to be alone for what come next." 

I watch as dark red smoke envelopes the couple, Papa's magic whisking them away to the most dangerous part of town. It's not hard to guess what Belle plans to do, and I suppose I should feel relieved, but it only makes my hard beat faster and my stomach drop. I can't lose my papa, he's the only person in this town that knows all of my little quirks. He raised me for God's sakes, I can't lose him no matter what. "Papa," I mumble, leaning on Dad as I regain my footing," oh God, please, not my papa!"

"Aveena," Dad calls, grabbing my arm and forcing me to stay still," it's too late, he's crossed a line and there is no coming back from it."

"Why not?! Everyone else in this town has got several second chances, why can't he?" I can feel my magic swirling around me, taking the form of thick bright pink smoke, clearing away once I'm a few feet away from Papa and Belle, Dad still holding tightly to my arm, though not tight enough that I can't slip out of it and run after my papa as Belle forces him to back up towards the line. "No," I scream, speeding up and reaching him right as he crossed the line, his bad leg giving out and forcing him to the ground," Papa!" I was just about to join him on the other side when Dad wraps his arms around my waist, holding me back, but not stopping me from sticking my hand out. Papa grasps it tightly, sobbing as hard as I am at this point. Dad pulls me back further, forcing me to let go. Anger takes over then, my eyes narrowing as I turn my glare on Belle. "Before everything is said and done with, I'm going to tear your heart out of your chest and crush it under my boot."

**Pan**

Pan smiles, walking back across the town line and feeling the magic of Storybrooke wrap around him like a hug. It had been a tough few weeks in New York, his fake like falling to pieces as he remembered more and more, a certain email confirming everything. It appears Mordred thinks Morgan is responsible for his son's death and would like Pan's help in obtaining revenge. "It's about time," Mordred drawls from a few paces away, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his expensive suit jacket. His dark hair is tucked behind his ears and he looks at Pan as one would a lesser being. 

"Mm, yes, it is," Pan smiles, moving to stand in front of the other man. Pan had aged slightly in the real world, his features no longer so boyish. He looks to be in his twenties, his dark blonde hair a little longer and his green eyes a little darker. "It's so nice to be back, though my magic isn't quite up to its full strength yet. That can be remedied, all it'll take is killing someone with relatively powerful magic."

"Like Morgan Gold?"

"Oh no, it's bad form to kill the people that belong to you. I was thinking more along the lines of you." Before the other man could respond, Pan had his heart in his hand, the organ beating rhythmically and Mordred gazing at Pan with growing dread. "You didn't actually think I'd let you live through this, did you? After all,  _I'm_ the one that killed Vincent, had a fun time with it too. You see, he was hurting Morgan and I don't like other people touching what doesn't belong to them." Pan crushes the heart, the remaining dust swirling around his arm before turning into wisps of orange smoke and disappearing into Pan's body. Normally, that wouldn't happen, but Pan's magic was of darker origin, darker than even Rumpelstiltskin's. Oh yes, it's certainly good to be back.

**Morgan**

A few weeks after shutting myself up in my new apartment, I sat down at my computer and pulled up my email, knowing I should be getting a new one soon from a language professor in New York. It was a way to make money, sending the professors emails to help them out in their classes and then they'd send me a money order. Something was different this time, however, as I open it and find a familiar address that does not belong to one of the professors. Unsure, I double-click and open the email and scan the message, the first smile since Papa's banishment making itself known.  _"I'm safe in New York and I have a plan, though it may take some time. I'll be back soon, my little bird._ "

"Papa."


	73. Chapter 73

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so to clear up confusion on the Rumple/Aveena timeline, I realize it's a bit weird that she's lived through all these things (I plan to re-write this story later on to fix the little screw ups), but I've decided to take a few liberties. Okay, so we all know that Rumple can't make people immortal—we're told that much by Rumple in Smee's first episode, but, and this is where the liberties are taken, he can slow the aging process. So, while I use the age she looks and thinks like at the time, she'd actually be older. Does that help clear up any confusion on that part?

When Rumple arrives inside Maleficent's castle, he found the three women he was looking for bickering amongst themselves. He shifts the two year old in his arms, the child beginning to get a little chunky compared to how light she was just last year. The three women, Cruella, Ursula, and Maleficent herself, were just the people he needed to get the Dark Curse. "Now, now, ladies," he chides with a smile, gaining the trio's attention," don't tear each other apart." Maleficent could do just that if she wanted to, but Cruella just might be able to tame her in her dragon form. "I need you all in one piece—or rather,  _three_  pieces." He takes a few steps forward towards the women, Aveena wrapped securely in a red cloak that matched his own perfectly.

"Rumpelstiltskin, it was you," Maleficent says with a slight frown.

"Guilty." He gives a mocking bow, his magic holding the baby in the air.

"Someone wanna tell me why I left the sea for this," Ursula inquires, her hands on her hips as she looks Rumple over. Sure, the sea witch is powerful, but she had no hope in hurting Rumple and so he wasn't worried. Aveena, on the other hand, would be placed inside a ball of magic, a transparent thing that protected her from any magic besides his own.

"Oh yes, the reason for this little tête-à-tête-à-tête...à-tête—we all have something in common, apart from mutual distaste." He strolls at a languid pace, stopping when he's in the center of the womens' little half-circle. "We're villains. And it's time the villains got their happy endings."

**Storybrooke**

I sit across from Whale at the outside cafe on Broadway, sipping on an ice-cold pop and listening to him describe the operation he'd had to perform the day before. This has become a ritual for us these past six weeks, meeting for lunch and making a point not to discuss magical bullshit that pops up in our town. "...Blood was all over my arms," he finishes around a bite of his sandwich," it was disgustingly amazing."

"Sounds like it," I smile, poking at my salad with my fork. "So, I've been thinking about the offer you made at my birthday party—the one about me shadowing you at the hospital. Is that still open or have you found a new sidekick?"

"Of course it is, I just didn't think you were interested in the medical field."

"I'm not, but the theater is shut down until Micah and Nicky get back from their second honeymoon and I'm bored." The blonde shrugs a shoulder with a nod and a lazy smile, leaning in his chair and looking around us. It's more crowded than usual, the school reopening now that it's been completely repaired, so kids are having a hard time getting back on schedule. Several of the high school kids are in line to buy coffee even if they have to throw it away before classes start for the day. It's kind of cold outside, but I've managed to adjust my magic so that I'm always comfortable no matter the weather—my short shorts and tank top can attest to that. "I think I'm gonna start dating again."

"What, seriously?" He gives me a nonplussed expression, his eyebrows raised.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just... You don't exactly have a great track record where boyfriends are concerned. I mean, your first one abused you for years and your second one killed the first one and then used one of your best friends in order to gain more power and take over the world."

"Yes, well, the next guy I date won't have an ounce of magic in his body." I sigh, curling my feet underneath me and sitting up a little straighter in the hard chair. "I just want someone normal that likes to hide out while all the crazy shit is happening. Maybe he could have a panic room in his basement."

"Honey, if the guy tries to get you to go down in his basement, you say no and run." I toss a crouton at him with a laugh that he returns. "Seriously, I mean, there are some weirdos out there."

"Yeah, and I'd say you're included in those weirdos, Victor."

"Well thanks for that, Morgan, it fills me with joy to know that's how you think of me." He covers his heart with a hand, giving a fake sniffle and looking away dramatically. "It just gets me right here, ya know?"

"You're such a dork." Whale's phone begins to beep, signaling the end of his lunch break. He gives me an apologetic look, standing as we pile our trash on the tray between us, Whale taking one last huge bite out of his sandwich before giving it up to the trash gods. "Okay, so I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah." We walk to the trash can together, disposing of our lunch and the tray before hugging. "Hey, uh, I know you've had it rough for a while. Depression isn't easy, it kind of comes and goes, but you'll get through this alright?" I don't say anything, my happy smile beginning to fade. "I know you have ways to contact Gold, I want you to talk to him at least once a day if it's possible."

"Why? No one else wants me to."

"Yeah, well, everyone else needs to pull their heads out of their asses. He may have been a pretty shitty human being, but he raised you and he tried to do right by you. You seem happier on the days you've talked to him, so I'm prescribing an hour long conversation with him everyday."

"Archie got to you, didn't he?"

"A little bit," Whale nods with a laugh, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as we walk through the bustling town. "How's your sessions with him going?"

"Pretty good, I guess—he has me taking out my anger on a punching bag."

"That's always fun."

"Yeah, well, I have to go. Regina wants me to substitute for one of the teachers that called in sick at the last minute. I get to teach..." I look down at my hand, squinting a little to make out the smudged writing. "Uh, drama class."

"Good luck with that, Mo."

"Good luck with your saving people. I hope you get another awesomely gruesome one soon enough."

* * *

 

"Did you give Belle my email address," Papa asks, the water in the bowl rippling slightly and distorting his image. This kind of communication is hard to maintain, but it's the only other way for me to talk to him without one of the good guys figuring it out. The last time I used this was when I was stuck in my own head fighting an evil me and now I have to do it in order to have a decent conversation. The process of calling him was relatively simple, I filled a bowl with water, spilled a few drops of my blood, and then concentrated on his face until his reflection appeared, though the only reason my blood worked is because we're both related to Neal and share his blood.

"Yep," I nod," I told her you were an Oxford linguistics professor, specialized in dead languages. I also told her that the spell to release the fairies was Latin."

"You're getting better at lying." He didn't seem to be happy about that, his brown eyes sad and his face worn. "Perhaps you should take a break from your game of spies and go see Henry or Micah."

"Micah and Nicky are on their second honeymoon and I'm not really up to seeing my nephew just yet. I have been talking to Whale and Archie, though."

"Ah, well, maybe stay away from the good doctor, huh?" I roll my eyes, knowing he thought of Whale as the type of man to take advantage of women whenever he could, but Whale didn't see me as anything other than his sidekick—the kid he's patched up so many times it's unreal and a sarcastic asshole at the best of times. I hear a faint dinging in the background followed by Ursula's tired voice.

"That means it's ready," she informs Papa, not appearing in my line of sight since I wasn't focused on her.

"Yes, I know how to work a microwave, thank you." Papa sounds tired, too, though I'm sure it's mainly because he has to do things by hand instead of relying on his magic.

"Because the Dark One did  _so_ much cooking in his time."

"Don't be a bitch," I tell the sea witch, grabbing the bowl and moving to sit on the couch," he did all the cooking before the curse was broken." Granted, that just meant heating up take-out most nights, but he still knew his way around the microwave and oven. "I have to go, Papa, my session with Archie is in ten minutes and I need to recharge my batteries before I start hacking away at the punching bag."

"Alright, little bird, I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you."

"Love you too, Papa." And then the connection was severed and I was left staring at my reflection. My eyes are duller than they used to be, the bright happiness almost gone from them, and the dark bags under my eyes didn't exactly help to liven them up.

"Who were you talking to," Dad asks as he walks inside, dropping his keys on the coffee table as I stand up with the bowl in my hands.

"No one, Daddy."

"You're lying." I don't give him any sort of response, my forgiveness not entirely given after he made a choice for me at the town line. He forced me to stay in this stupid town, Papa was going to force me to watch him kill my dad, Regina's forcing me to take therapy—when do I get to make a harder choice than what color to paint my living room? "Vee, wait." I keep walking, dumping the water out in the sink and setting the bowl in the drying rack before grabbing my purse and walking outside. I can't deal with him right now, not when my anger is beginning to build. "You can't run forever, Aveena," Killian calls after me as I exit my apartment," we're going to have to talk."

"Why don't you go talk to someone that doesn't want to punch you in the face?!" My words make him wince, his head lowering an inch or two as his usual confidence falters. "When I'm ready to talk, I'll find you, but butting into my life every five seconds isn't winning you any brownie points right now. Just leave me alone."

**Dark Castle**

The chairs that Maleficent provides are less than comfortable, but they'll do for this quick meeting, Rumple preferring the chairs he has at his own castle. "Now then," Cruella starts," this happy ending shenanigan you're promising us, can you really do that?" Rumple could care less about their happy endings, it was his own he wanted to secure. He would be reunited with his son and perhaps he could raise Aveena more normally after that, let her age like any other child. "Are you  _really_ that powerful?" Aveena toddles over to Cruella, one of her pudgy little hands coming up to touch the dog that Cruella brought with her. The woman gives a gasp as Aveena comes close to her, gray eyes widening a fraction as she feels the tiniest bits of her magic being absorbed into the child.

"Yeah, he's powerful," Maleficent states, drawing attention away from Aveena before Cruella could say anything about her strange ability," but not  _that_  powerful."

"No one is," Ursula adds.

"Love how you underestimate me," Rumple smiles, unworried since the three women combined could do nothing to harm him," adorable."

"What exactly are you offering, short stuff," Cruella inquires with vague interest. That does make Rumple prickle slightly, knowing he wasn't the tallest person in the room, but he was more powerful than Cruella, so she had better watch her tongue before he ripped it out.

"Only the answer to all your prayers."

"I'm not exactly the religious sort." Of course she's not, no one in this room is. He gives a mock gasp, Aveena giggling as she toddles her way back over to him and climbs up in his lap, the dark hair on her head tickling his nose.

"Shocked." In a burst of anger, Cruella rises from her seat and marches over to him, leaning over and trying her best to intimidate, but not even Aveena is scared of the skinny woman.

"Look, I was quite content with my life until I received this summons, and I  _do not appreciate_  being dragged around on false promises."

"Nothing false about it, Dearie." Rumple stands as well, Aveena laughing as she reaches out a hand the tug on some of Cruella's multi-colored hair. More of the woman's magic is drained away, her eyes narrowing as she glares down at the toddler. Rumple sends out a pulse of magic, a warning to Cruella that if she tried to hurt a hair on his daughter's head, that she would be punished in a way so severe that no one else would ever dare to think about harming the child. "I know exactly what you want, and you, and you." He points to the other two women in turn, the same small smirk still playing on his lips.

"Really," Maleficent asks disbelievingly.

"Really. But don't worry, I'm not one to betray trusts, so your secrets can remain your own. What I will share is what we all have in common—a desire for happiness. A desire to do what villains can never do. To win. and I'm here to show you how, together."

"Even if we would work together, no spell known to man or woman can do what you're saying."

"Of course not, Dearie." He sets Aveena down in the chair he had vacated, using his magic to shield her from any possible attack that may occur before moving closer to Maleficent. "But we're not looking for a spell. We're looking for a curse—a Dark Curse. One that, if you help procure it..." He walks around the circle, making sure to look each of the women in the eye in order to see if they'll fall for his bait. "...Can get each and every one of you exactly what you want—your..." He points to Cruella. "Happy..." And now to Ursula. "Ending." And finally to Maleficent, to the one that would be the hardest to catch. He would use them to get the Curse, and then he and Aveena would go to the world without magic, waiting there for twenty-eight years until it's time to find his son.

**Pan**

Pan, disguised as Mordred, watches as a great black thing flies overhead, his green eyes narrowing slightly as he recalls where he's seen its image before. It's the creature from the Bald Mountain, the one who was supposed to guard the Dark Curse and completely failed its task. It would cause trouble for Storybrooke, going after each and every person that had the highest capability of evil until none were left but the purest sorts. But who had released it from its prison? Pan shakes his head, not wanting to delve too deeply into it, continuing to walk down the street until he was standing across the street from Archibald Hopper's office—arriving just in time to see his target walking out, most of her dark brown hair hanging loose while part of it was braided. A surge of lust ran through him, his senses picking up her strange magic and longing to entwine with it. Morgan looks over at him, sensing his gaze on her, and gives a dark scowl, walking quickly back towards the center of town.

Of course she would hate Mordred, it was partially his fault that Vincent had pounced on her. Pan found himself wondering how she would react upon seeing him again, if she would leap into his arms and proclaim how much she had missed him and how sorry she was that she sent him away or if she would try to kill him. An interesting scenario either way, one he was anxious to move on to, but first he had to bide his time and wait for the newest problem in Storybrooke to be taken care of. He needs a child, and Morgan will be the woman to give him one—their magic combined in their son would make him unstoppable, but first Pan must wait for Morgan's body to mature into an age where childbearing has a greater chance of ending with mother and child alive. His eyes, still on her retreating back, move from top to toes, really enjoying how good her legs look while she wears high heels.

**Dark Castle**

"The Curse resides here," Rumple explains as he leads the way through the carved halls," Bald Mountain. It's protected by a variety of lethal magic obstacles—obstacles that suit your very specific talents." They come to a stop in front of a tall door, the bugs crawling across the surface failing to catch Aveena's eye and she would have walked right into the door and the scarabs if Rumple hadn't grabbed the back of her cloak and yanked her back. "Blood Scarabs." Aveena's blue eyes go wide, her bottom lip beginning to quiver as she grasps his leg with both arms and her legs, leaving Rumple to support her. This isn't the first time she's done this, he would often find himself walking through his palace with Aveena clinging to his leg. "The only thing stronger than their venom is their bloodlust. Cruella, I believe with your powers of persuasion they'll be as harmless as puppy dogs."

The insane woman steps forward, kneeling down and allowing a scarab to climb onto her gloved hand. "I have a little job for you, Darling," he hears her whisper before she exhales a faint green vapor that envelopes the bug, making it glow for a brief moment. "Now run along and tell the others." The beetle scuttles away back to the others covering the door, not even a second passing before all of the beetles take up positions on the wall and away from the door, every one of them glowing the same green as the first. "That's how it's done, Darlings." Rumple walks past her and through the now open doors, paying her no mind even when his daughter sticks her tongue out at the other woman. The room they enter next is cavernous, the centerpiece being the pedestal of stone that held a tiny scroll of parchment encased in a glass orb, fire burning on the stone in front of the pedestal to deter normal visitors. "The Dark Curse." He looks on at the scene for a moment, excitement coursing through his veins. "Fire forged from the breath of dragons." He tosses his torch into the flames, having no need of it. "Maleficent, I believe this is your area of expertise."

He steps aside, allowing the depressed woman to stand in the front, the red in her otherwise dark gown glittering in the light the fire makes. She raises her hands, getting the fire under her control, the flames forming a serpent that disappears into the mouth of the dragon ornament on her staff. Without the fire, the cavern suddenly grew cold and dark, Rumple feeling Aveena begin to shiver despite her winter cloak. Maleficent turns with a smile and a piece of foolish advice. "Next time, maybe try something challenging," she states, Rumple making a note to procure a thicker coat for his daughter as Maleficent rejoins the group.

"And now, Ursula. If you don't mind." The sea witch takes a couple of steps forward, using one of her tentacles to grasp the orb from its perch and drop it carelessly into Rumple's outstretched hand.

"This what you're looking for," she asks arrogantly.

"Indeed." He walks towards the doors as the cavern begins to shake, pieces from the ceiling falling to the ground. All of the women begin to panic, looking around in alarm for whatever could be causing the small earthquake and questioning Rumple on what was going on. "My daughter and I are leaving with my prize. And you?" He pauses to take in the incredulous expressions of the trio, his happiness doubling as he says the next words. "You're about to die." A simple hand up has the three women stopping their advance on him, each of them knowing how powerful he is. "I forgot to mention there's one more thing guarding the Curse. The Chernabog—an ancient demon that feeds on evil. It seeks out the heart with the greatest potential for darkness and devours it. That's why I really needed you three. Adieu." With a giggle, he uses his magic to open the doors, stepping through them before slamming them shut again and sealing the three women and hell-beast inside.

He couldn't have the Chernabog breaking out and coming after him instead because he had a feeling that it would seek out Aveena as well.

**Morgan**

"What do you want, Mordred," I ask without looking up from my cup of coffee, not in the mood for his shit after my last session with Archie. "And by the way, I don't appreciate you trying to insert yourself into my life." When Mordred doesn't say anything, I glance up and find Whale sitting across from me with his eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"Has Mordred been bothering you again," he asks, blue eyes showing how worried he is.

"It's nothing I can't handle. He's not as strong as he likes to think he is." Whale opens his mouth to respond to that, but a loud shrieking and the ground rumbling cuts him off, the sudden movement of the earth making me dive under the table and curl up in a ball. When it subsides, I peak out from my hiding place, my breathing beginning to slow as I realize it wasn't an earthquake that caused the rumbling. "What the actual fuck was that?"

"I don't know," Whale says, standing and helping me up," but I think we should go find that panic room in the basement you talked about."

"Whatever you say, Doc." I hold onto his hand tightly as he leads me out the back way, the both of us running to the theater since it had a tornado shelter in one of the backrooms. I stop abruptly when I spot a living gargoyle perched on the clock tower, its red eyes moving over the town and resting on me briefly before moving on again. A shiver of fear races down my spine and my eyes widen as I realize I've heard its menacing snarl before. The memory is a hazy one, filled with fear and scarabs, but it was enough for me to realize that this guy isn't the type of gargoyle to fight crime. "We have to go right now," I gasp, beginning to run again and forcing Whale out of his horrified daze. "That thing eats evil for breakfast—quite literally—and I don't want to stand around and see if it decides if I'm leaning more towards evil instead of neutral!" 

I hit the doors at a sprint, expecting them to open as they usually did, but instead I'm sent backwards into Whale, both of us hitting the ground hard. "What the hell?"

"They're locked." I get back to my feet, trying to tune out the panicked screams of townspeople as I focus on which key is supposed to unlock the doors. "Come on, come on, come on! Which one is it, I can't remember." Whale looks over my shoulder, making a face before he just nudges me out of the way and rams the doors, the wood giving under his shoulder after a few tries and falling open as Whale falls to the ground inside. "Come on, we don't have all day." I help him back up and lead the way to the back of the theater to the rooms where extras get ready in, moving an area rug and opening the door that was hidden underneath. The hinges creak as they're used for the first time in years, but with Whale's help, it's fairly easy to open the heavy thing. 

"You go first." I use my magic to create an orb of light, following it down the stairs with Whale following behind me. The room the stairs lead to is protected by magic, Micah's beginning to come back now that he's regained his memories. There are several couches spread around with rugs covering the floors and walls to keep the cold of old stone at bay, though there is no electricity, so we'll have to use my magic as a light source. 

"I hope Micah will be okay." I don't have to worry about Nicky, he's probably the nicest person in this town.

"You said this thing eats evil, I don't think it'll be going after Micah any time soon."

"Yeah well, he wasn't exactly the type to sing with woodland creatures in the other world." Whale closes his eyes, dropping down on a coach and heaving a long sigh. 

"Who was he, Morgan?"

"A really powerful Necromancer that resided over a kingdom East of the Enchanted Forest, had his own citadel and zombie guards. He went by Lord Mozenrath there and Nicky was the Sultan in Agrabah." 

"Aladdin... I've heard about him." 

* * *

 

I look up as the door to the shop opens, finding two women I had hoped never to see again—Cruella and the sea witch looking around the store as if they had a right to be in here. "What the hell are you two doing here," I snarl, coming out from behind the counter to face them without anything between us. Cruella looks unimpressed, her cold gaze landing on me as a frown mars her otherwise pretty face. 

"The Dark One's daughter," she sneers, saying the words like they were poison on her tongue," all grown up, aren't you, Darling?"

"Mm, you've aged too, Cruella. I think you have more white in your hair since the last time I saw you."

"You little-!" She lunges at me, wrapping her thin fingers around my neck and beginning to squeeze while Ursula looks on in disinterest.

"You know," the sea bitch states as I go along with the strangulation, letting the pair feel like they were in charge until I find out their motives. "We were just wondering whether or not to let your darling papa into the town, but I rather like the idea of abandoning him at the town line and killing you. A sort of revenge for leaving us to face the Chernabog all those years ago." I claw at Cruella's wrists, tugging as I use my magic to make my face turn a faint shade of red and then a dark purple. "That sound good to you, Cruella?"

"It sounds wonderful." Good enough, time to stop playing. With a smile, my face returns to its normal complexion, my magic blowing the two hags backwards and pinning them against the wall. 

"You know what sounds good to me," I ask, standing and brushing dirt off my shorts," I think you two are going to come to the town line with me and retrieve my papa and carry out whatever plan he has. Of course, I could kill the both of you and it wouldn't effect me in any way, I could turn you both into a matching pair of heels and give them to my step-mother as an early birthday gift and only I will know about it. My point to all this being that the two of you are nothing compared to me. I can sap all the magic in your bodies fairly quickly and leave you both as normal people. Now, would you whether help Papa or would you rather be known as a pair of Burberry designer pumps?"

"Help....Dark One," Ursula gasps out when I loosen my magic enough to allow them to draw breaths.

"I thought you'd see things my way." With a giggle, I let the pair go and watch as they re-catch their breath before using my magic to nudge them towards the door. "Let's go, you two, it's getting late and I have a movie marathon I want to watch."

It's completely dark when we reach the town line, Cruella beginning to shiver even with the heavy fur coat she has on. I make the two women lead the way to our destination, my breath catching in my throat when I see Papa in person for the first time in six weeks. I grab the scroll from Ursula's hand, walking to the very edge of the town line, the toes of my my heels stopping at the edge of the bright orange spray paint. With shaking hands, I let my hand move through the barrier, holding out the scroll for Papa to take. He turns when he hears the faint  _whoosh_ of magic, hurrying back to the edge of the line and taking the scroll, giving my hand a squeeze when he recognizes the Stitch tattoo on my wrist. "Little bird," he whispers, unrolling the scroll and looking back up, now able to see the town again. The second he crosses the line, his limp vanishes and his cane is thrown away, his arms closing around me in a tight hug.

"I've missed you," I mumble against his shoulder before pulling back to face the women with him. "Let's get started." He grins, placing an hand on the small of my back to get me walking, the two of us sandwiched between Team Rocket.

"It's a simple plan, really. Continue to repent your wicked ways, make friends, build relationships."

"And just what will you be doing," Cruella asks, her eyes lowering slightly when I send a glare in her direction. "That is, if it's alright to inquire." The smirk on Papa's lips is enough to make me feel proud of myself, an extra bounce in my step now that I have Papa's approval.

"I'll continue my work behind the scenes, of course."

"Sounds like we're doing  _everything_ ," Ursula scowls," again." Papa comes to a stop, making everyone else do the same.

"How do you think we got in here? And how do you think that Chernabog was released? It was me and my daughter. I'm the Oxford professor who translated the spell for Belle and Morgan is the one that gave the email address to her, the spell that released the fairies and also happened to unleash that monstrosity. So I ask you what I was able to do on the outside, at my lowest point, without magic. What my daughter has been able to do while suffering through a bout of depression. And then consider what we're able to do here, together. So maybe we should stop bickering and get on with it. Our team is one member short—it's time to reunite the band." We start walking again, Papa and I at the head of the pack. 

"Y-you don't mean," Cruella stutters, her and Ursula picking up the pace to catch up.

"Yep," I smile without looking back," the crazy ol' dragon lady herself."

"Maleficent," Ursula realizes grimly.

* * *

 

I don't turn when I hear my bedroom door shutting, not caring who it was right now and just wanting to sleep for a few hours before trying to wake a dragon that was supposed to be dead. "Whoever it is," I call out, pulling the covers of my bed back and smoothing out the wrinkles," just go away and I'll talk to you tomorrow." I don't get a response, the silence seeming too much after I heard my door shutting. Tense, I straighten up and try to turn only to have arms wrap around my waist and a familiar smell invading my senses.

"Hello, Darling," Pan greets, voice low and breath tickling my ear. "So nice to see you again."


	74. Chapter 74

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to all of you Scarlet Beauty shippers out there, but Belle isn't going to be hooking up with Will in my fic since it just seemed to come out of no where.

Pan covers my mouth as I open it to scream for help, his magic stronger than ever as he uses it to throw me on the bed and tie me down, the lace gloves appearing there right afterward to block my magic. "Now, now," he chides," no need for tantrums." He moves his index finger and a gag appears in my mouth, the freshly laundered sock not moving no matter how much I try to spit it back out. My sheets serve as ties, keeping my hands and legs down so I don't hit or kick at Pan. How did he even get in here? Pup and Fidget should have sensed the magic and went for his jugular. "As spirited as I remember, I see. Good to know, I like that quality in the woman I've chosen to give me a son." I scream into the gag, hoping for Dad to walk in and find me. Sure, I'll probably get the I told you so speech, but I'd rather that than being around Pan.

Pan moves his hand again, the gag disappearing along with my ability to speak above a whisper. "How did you get back in town," I snarl, glaring up at him as he paces around my room. The whispering made me sound about as threatening as someone writing using Comic Sans.

"Mordred helped me and then I killed him and took his place and his magic." He shrugs with a lazy smile, leaning against a bedpost. "He really did hate you, you know. Amazing what hatred can do to a man's sense of judgement."

"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, buckaroo, but I can't have kids." Pan's expression darkens and he moves faster than I thought possible, suddenly kneeling over me with his fingers digging into my shoulders as he gives me a hard shake.

"What do you mean you can't have children?"

"I  _mean_ that it's impossible, I have something wrong with me and I can't do it. I've known that since I was fourteen—well, fourteen in this world, anyway. You would've known that if you weren't such a prick." He raises his hand, the motion alone triggering a memory from when Vincent had hit me, making me automatically flinch back and squeeze my eyes closed. Then the pain hit me, not from a backhanded slap, but from his hand plunging into my chest and yanking out my heart. I let out a pained squeak, unable to do much more with Pan's magic working on my vocal chords.

"I should crush your heart, Morgan. Crush it and take care of three different problems at once—you wouldn't be a disappointment to me any longer, your beloved pirate of a father would be broken, and Rumpelstiltskin would be ripe for manipulating." I can't say anything, the intense pain worse than I ever thought it could be, the tight grasp he has on my heart making my chest ache. Is this what it felt like when Papa held Dad's heart in his hand? I let out a gasp, sucking in a deep breath of air when his grip relaxes around the organ, an evil grin making its way on his face. "It's a good thing we have magic in this world, Morgan, because it's the only thing saving your life." His free hand covers my lower stomach, his fingers splayed over the soft flesh and his eyes closed as he concentrates on healing something he can't see or really understand.

"Get off me!" The hand on my stomach moves to hold my neck, lifting my head off the bed and forcing me to look him in the eyes. "Please, just stay away from me."

"There will come a day when you will conceive my son, though it will be years in the future before that happens. I look forward to it, but until then, I think I should hold onto this—safekeeping and all that." He holds my heart up for me to see, a dark red and glowing a faint yellow from protective magic. Parts of the organ are beginning to fade to black, but most of it is still healthy and unaffected by my dark deeds. "The next time I see you, it will be like you never discovered me in your room that night—you'll be happy to see me and it'll be just like old times." I don't respond to him as he leans down and presses his lips against the corner of my mouth, the kiss chaste, but his fingers linger on my throat before he releases me. "Until tomorrow, my darling." His magic swirls around him, filling my bedroom with an outdoorsy scent that lingers long after Pan has gone. Slowly, I raise up on my elbows, rubbing the spots where the sheet had dug in and left red marks.

"I am so screwed."

 **Agrabah** — **Past**

Aladdin looks around him, tugging at the collar of his shirt in obvious discomfort as the other nobility walk around him. "Stop that," his companion frowns, fixing the collar and straightening Aladdin's hat. "Honestly, I thought you were supposed to be the people person here." Aladdin can't meet Mozenrath's gaze, a blush turning his tanned cheeks a dark red as his eyes fix on his white boots. Everything in the palace seemed to go by the same color scheme—white, gold, and cream. Jasmine had been the only person in the palace to defy it and wear turquoise, but she's been dead for three years and now Aladdin's fiance is the rebel, dressed in his usual deep blue robes. "Cheer up, tomorrow should be easier since we won't have to be around these people for very long."

"Sorry, Moze, it's just all strange since the last time we had this kind of party here, it was Jasmine fussing over me." Mozenrath tenses at the dead princess's name, his right hand clenching into a fist—a flesh and blood hand now, no longer made of brilliant white bone or hidden in the magical Gauntlet. He still couldn't stand the thought of Jasmine being near Aladdin, even after all these years and all of the  _I love you's_  they have shared with each other. "Okay, now it's your turn to relax. We're going to be married tomorrow, shouldn't you be happy about that?"

"I'll be happy once the ceremony is completed and your coronation goes successfully." There was chatter floating around of an assassination plot, one Mozenrath seems to have countered well by creating a protective spell around Aladdin, but the person Aladdin was most concerned about was the Necromancer himself. It would be too bold for assassins to kill the future Sultan, especially since several of the nobles like Aladdin and the way he stepped up when the previous Sultan fell ill, but it was no secret that even more people hated Mozenrath for the destruction he'd wrought in his time. "I need a drink, do you want one?"

"Yes, please." Mozenrath nods, making his way through the crowd, Aladdin watching him until even his dark blue turban disappears from sight, lost in a sea of people visiting for the next few days.

"You both look rather happy," a familiar voice states from behind. Aladdin turns with an eager smile, finding the brown-haired beauty known as Belle. Aladdin's advisers had tried to set up a marriage between the two, but it was obvious it would never had worked since he and Belle would never be able to move past friendship—not after the close relationship she'd had with Jasmine, that would feel like disrespecting the Princess's memory. "I've missed you, Aladdin."

"I missed you, too." The pair hugs, not too long as to cause gossip, but long enough to express the sentiments they wanted to other to know. "I've been meaning to visit, but the Ogre Wars have really done a number on the roads and paths from here to your kingdom. Even Mozenrath is having a hard time traveling to the Black Sands and back here."

"I know, it's horrible, but hopefully it will be over with soon. My father has spoke of a man that might be able to help turn the tides."

 **Killian** — **The Next Morning**

Killian had hoped to have an uneventful morning, well, as far as uneventful could be in Storybrooke, but he couldn't have been more shocked when none other than Peter Pan walked into Aveena's apartment like he owned the place. "Morning, Captain," Pan greets with a smirk, taking the box of doughnuts out of Killian's hand and carrying them into the kitchen, Killian standing in the living room in shock for a moment before following behind the demon. Aveena is sitting on the kitchen counter, licking the chocolate frosting off a doughnut while Pan leans against the counter beside her. She's still dressed in the nightgown Killian doesn't approve of, the garment too short for his little girl to be wearing, too much cleavage showing despite the multi-colored robe she has on. Killian's blood begins to boil when he notices that Pan's gaze keeps moving to Aveena's breasts, never lingering on her face for long.

"Hey, Dad," Vee smiles, crossing her legs at the ankles and swinging them a little as she eats.

"What the bloody hell is he doing here," Killian demands, not wasting valuable time with pleasantries. Aveena looks confused, her gaze darting between Pan and Killian.

"What do you mean? Pan's been here since we brought him back from Neverland." With a growl, Killian grabs Pan by the front of his shirt, slamming the man against the wall with enough force to crack the drywall. Pan grunts at the impact, but seems otherwise unsurprised at the sudden attack. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"What did you do to my daughter, you bastard?" Pan smirks, Aveena hopping down from her spot on the counter, but freezing in her tracks at a simple look from Pan. That's something his daughter would never do, even if it meant saving her life, she hated taking orders. "What did you do?" He slams him against the wall again, harder this time.

"Wouldn't the real question be what I haven't done," Pan asks arrogantly, not quick enough to dodge Killian's fist as it connects with the side of Pan's face. The bastard stumbles to the side, rubbing his jaw with a smile. "Good, Captain, really let go of all that anger. It's not healthy to have it all bottled up inside, but I do have to warn you that I have something you'd hold most dear to you. An ace of hearts, if you will." Pan pulls out something red from the bag hanging up a few feet away, the thing creating a rhythmic beating sound that Killian recognizes in a second. "Ah, yes, you know who this belongs to, don't you? And you wouldn't want anything to happen to it?"

"You know damn well I don't."

"Good." Pan's eyes connect with Aveena's from across the room, a silent command that Aveena carries out, crossing the room in quick and confident strides until she's by his side and smiling like everything's alright. "So, unless you want pretty Morgan here to suffer the consequences, you had better behave and keep your nose out of my business." It took all Killian had not to stab Pan then and there with the spoon lying nearby, only the fear of him dropping or crushing Aveena's heart keeping him where he is. "Come on, my darling, I believe we have plans." Pan stuffs the heart back in the bag before shouldering it and wrapping an arm around Aveena's waist, Killian looking away when his daughter willingly kisses the demon. He knows nothing Aveena does from here until her heart's back in her chest is truly willing, but it still made him sick to see that smile plastered on her face.

 **Gold** — **That Night**

When he walks into his daughter's apartment, Gold had been hoping to have a moment to just sit with her and listen to her voice, but his plans changed when he found Morgan lying on the couch in a sort of trance, her hands clasped together on her stomach and the nightgown she has on a foreign one made of long white cotton. "I see you finally made it." Gold's eyes move from his daughter's sleeping form to Pan, the other man standing a few feet away with Morgan's heart in his hand. "I've made a mistake, Rumple, and I need to repair it before it's too late."

"I should kill you right now," Gold snarls, in no mood after what he'd just witnessed.

"If you did that, then you would destroy the heart of the person we both care a great deal for." Pan holds the heart up higher, his grasp on it loose to ensure Morgan felt no pain or discomfort. "I think Mordred is trying to dig his claws into me since I absorbed his magic. I need you to fix that for me."

"And why would I do that when I can just take my daughter's heart and crush yours?"

"Because I don't know where my heart is, but I do know that my anger spikes easily these days and Morgan's life, quite literally, is in my hand. Now, will you help me or not?" Gold says nothing for a moment, moving to check Morgan's pulse and feel the soft flesh of her cheek to make sure she wasn't cold or burning with fever. "Please, Rumple, I just want my happy ending like everyone else."

"Return her heart first." It took a lot for Gold to spit those words out, but he would rather team up with Pan temporarily than risk loosing his daughter forever. Pan does just that, easing the heart back in its place, stepping back when Morgan sits bolt upright on the couch with a gasp, her blue eyes wide as she looks around the room. "Are you alright, little bird?"

"Gah," she moans, rubbing her chest," I feel like Zeus used me for target practice." She looks up at him, shaking slightly, but relatively fine. "You look like you just saw your childhood puppy get hit by a Mack truck."

"Yes, well, an old enemy using your heart as a bargaining chip and my wife cheating on me with another man tends to earn this expression, I think." Morgan rolls her eyes, letting Gold remove the lace gloves so she could use her magic to send Pan somewhere else in Storybrooke. "Why do you look like you know something I don't? I don't like that look, Dear, it makes me nervous."

"You think Belle's dating someone?"

"Isn't it obvious? She's dating Mister Hope from the theater." Morgan clears her throat a little awkwardly, giving him a look. "What, I saw them embrace each other and he placed a kiss on her lips."

"Papa, Nicky's gay."

"Oh."

"Yeah, he's been helping Belle sort through stuff in your shop since he's got a little better grasp of magic than she does. He's married to a certain Necromancer and they must have returned from their honeymoon." It dawned on Gold then, that those two men weren't just very good friends like he had assumed all along. It also made sense why Morgan was so comfortable around the pair since men usually made her nervous. "Well, you're not the brightest light bulb in the pack, but you do well enough." The sympathetic pat she gives his shoulder is enough to set Gold laughing, relief coursing through him after all that has happened today. He needed his daughter's sarcasm or else he'd have nothing to brighten the dark days. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, Mordred's trying to take over Pan in order to get revenge and Pan has no clue where his heart has tun off to. I know I let Morgan get her heart back pretty early, but I wanted to show that it was mostly Mordred doing the taking instead of Pan himself.


	75. Chapter 75

**This one is pretty short compared to the others, but I really can't think up any good ideas for this season right now. *Shakes fist* Damn you writer's block! On the upside (despite the overly exaggerated season finale) dark!Charming is way better than hero!Charming. Maybe I'll have Pan take in the Dark One mojo? Tell me what y'all think in a review!**

**Dark Castle**

Maleficent wasn't entirely sure what she was doing at the Dark One's castle, she just knew that he possessed something that she hadn't seen before in this realm. She wanted to get a closer look at his stolen child, see how her magic worked, and if it could be taken from her. She looks around her warily, well aware of how powerful Rumpelstiltskin is and how possessive he is of the things that belong to him. The castle is filled with magic of all sorts, most of it dark, but there is a spark of light magic around here somewhere, she can sense it. Well, light's the wrong word for it, this magic is pure and smells of rain—the kind of magic that has never been tainted by darkness. She follows that magic, finding what she was looking for in the form of a little girl with dark brown hair and fair skin. The child turns, laughing when she spots Maleficent and running over to tug on the woman's dress. "Come play with me," the child demands with a smile. Maleficent couldn't help her returning smile, kneeling in front of the little girl and taking her in while she had a chance.

The little girl could be no more than five, dressed in an elegant black gown and the cloak that belongs to Rumple with her hair hanging down her back in tangles. The cloak itself engulfs her small body, the crimson fabric far too long, the sleeves of it hiding her little hands. "What's your name," Maleficent asks softly, using her magic to straighten up the child's appearance even as she feels part of her magic being drained away.

"I'm not a'posed to say." Maleficent smiles again, cupping the child's plump face and running her thumbs in soothing circles, enjoying the abnormal warmth the child gives off. Perhaps because she'd absorbed some of Maleficent's magic? "Are you one of Papa's friends?"

"No, she's not," comes the cold voice of Rumpelstiltskin from behind, Maleficent's smile disappearing as she straightens up and faces the Imp, the child between them with Maleficent's hands resting on her shoulders. "And, unless she wants her hands ripped off her body, she'll remove them from your shoulders, little bird." The child tilts her head back to look at Maleficent, giving a cheerful smile before skipping over to her captor. She's been kidnapped and doesn't even realize it. Rumple picks her up when she reaches him, holding her in such a protective way that Maleficent quickly realizes that he doesn't think of the child as an object to be used at a later date—he's become fond of her. It should have been obvious, he wouldn't let just anyone run around the castle in his favorite cloak. "What are you doing here?"

"I was curious," Maleficent shrugs," it's not everyday you come across a little girl with the kind of magic your daughter is in control of." The little girl rests her head on Rumple's shoulder, still smiling despite the fact that the man holding her looks ready to commit murder. "Do you know what it is?"

"I assure you, I don't know what you're speaking of." The words are said in a low voice, his teeth clenched tightly and his hold shifting so as to clutch the child closer to him. "I think it's time for you to leave, Maleficent." she gives him a nod and a knowing smile, patting the child's back as she walks past them.

"I liked her," she hears the child whisper and her smile widens. She'd be seeing the child again, even if it's not anytime in the near future. She would figure out what magic the child possesses and she would use it to her advantage.

**Storybrooke**

I look up when the front door to my apartment opens, walking out of the kitchen with a box of cereal in hand to see which citizen of Storybrooke was barging in this time. "Whale? What are you doing here?" The doctor says nothing, walking to me quickly and pulling me into a bone-crushing hug, letting out a sigh of relief when I hug him back, the box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch falling to the floor and spilling on the carpet. He pulls back after a little bit, clutching my upper arms as he looks me over, bending so his ear was pressed against my chest. "Is this how you greet all the women that come to work for ya, Doc?" He lets out a short bark of a laugh, running a hand through his already messy blonde hair.

"No, I just saw you yesterday with Pan, and Hook told about him taking your heart... I was worried," he explains, taking half a step back.

"Well, I've got my heart back now and I sent Pan somewhere in Storybrooke last night. No worries in that department."

"So you're not back together with him?"

"Nope, don't have a boyfriend."

"Good." And then he was close to me again, wrapping his arms around my waist and bending down to place a heated kiss on my lips. Now, if it were anyone else doing this, I might have reacted badly and blasted them into next week, but this is  _Whale_ , this guy is every woman in Storybrooke's wet dream! So, needless to say, I gave it my all, wrapping my arms around his neck and tangling my fingers in the stray bits of blonde hair that rested there. When he pulls back for air, I have a goofy grin plastered on my face.

"So, just to be clear, you don't actually think of me as a sibling?"

"Not since your birthday." I nod, pulling him back down and kissing him again.

* * *

 

A few minutes later finds us both sitting on my couch, myself slumming it in a ratty pair of jeans and an oversized sweater over a tank top and Whale dressed in his usual work clothes: khaki pants and a dress shirt. Each of us hold a box of cereal, watching reruns of Turn on my flat screen mounted on the wall across from us. "So, that Andre guy got hanged in real life," Whale checks around a mouthful of Rice Crispies. At my nod, he gives a shake of his head in disappointment. "That blows, I like him in this show."

"Me too, but I've learned to try and not get attached to certain characters," I explain," favorite characters always die and that's why every episode of Game of Thrones finds me praying to any deity that'll listen to spare Tyrion." Fidget decides to show up then, hopping up on the couch and curling up in Whale's lap, purring contently as Pup plops down under my legs, his favorite place when my feet are propped up on my coffee table. "This is nice, if my pets didn't like you, then I'd throw you out."

"That's perfectly reasonable."

"I like to think so."

"You know, I've never done this before."

"What? Eat cereal while watching reruns?" My smile diminishes slightly when he doesn't crack some joke, setting my box down on the coffee table so I can reposition myself on the couch to face him easier. "Victor?" He clears his throat, scratching Fidget's head as something to keep his hand occupied.

"I've never had a girlfriend that I was comfortable enough with to let my walls down." He looks over at me, setting aside his cereal so he can grasp my hand in his. "All the other women I dated were basically just one night stands."

"What am I?" He squeezes my hand with a smile, pulling me closer so he could wrap his arm around my shoulders.

"You're not them."  _Good, because if you fuck me and leave, then I'm fairly certain you'll have both of my fathers finding you and skinning you alive_. Instead of saying that, though, I just give him a soft smile and rest my head on his shoulder as Major Andre and Peggy Shippen begin their first dance on screen. My OTP for this series, and she's going to end up with America's greatest traitor, how lovely. I jump a little when my text tone goes off a few minutes later, the noise interrupting the tense scene of Caleb hiding from Robert Rogers. "Duty calls?" I grab my phone and look at the screen, frowning at the text message from David.  **Regina went undercover and hasn't contacted us. Need help for a discreet search party**.

"Yeah, the heroes in this town are complete dodos," I sigh, giving his cheek a quick kiss before standing up, using magic to put a pair of black, calf-high boots on. "Hopefully this won't take too long, but who knows with these people."

"Be careful."

"Always." He scoffs, giving me a disbelieving look.

"If you were always careful, then I wouldn't have to stitch you up so much." I give him a wink and a devious smile to match before using my magic to transport me to Regina's vault, appearing right between David and Snow. Snow lets out a surprised squeak, jumping back a little while David's hand drops instinctively to his pistol.

"This had better not be the two of you being paranoid because I was having a nice afternoon with Whale when I got your text, buddy boy."


	76. Chapter 76

**I'm sorry if there are mistakes in this chapter, but my glasses have gone missing and I can't really see much without them. And yes, I put Morgan with Whale because I recently watched an episode of iZombie and Whale plays a bad guy in it, plus, they don't really have him in OUaT much anymore and I miss his character.**

"Regina ain't in there," I state after a moment in concentration, though I mainly concentrated on what David would look like as a rabbit.

"Are you sure," Snow asks, her brows furrowing as though she didn't completely trust me. I bet this was their idea, or they drug her into their scheme, because I highly doubt Regina would throw caution to the wind and pretend to team up with the baddies. No, she has more sense than that, but these two here... Well, Spongebob has more sense in his little finger.

"Yes, I'm sure, the only person in there is her dead boyfriend. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my apartment where my boyfriend and my pets are waiting for me." I barely get two steps when David has a hand on my arm and is pulling me backwards. He moves me so that he and Snow are standing in front of me, David with his hands on his hips, Snow with her arms crossed, and both playing the part of disappointed parents almost too well for words considering they've never raised a child. "Jesus, I don't want to be your sidekick today. I want to finish my cereal and watch TV until my brain melts!"  _I actually need to get ahold of Papa and tell him about Regina._

"Well, excuse us for being worried," David says sarcastically. "It's not like the boyfriends in the past have exactly turned out normal—Vincent abused and used you until he was murdered in an alley way and Pan was a sociopath that murdered Vincent! Now, tell us who you're seeing this time, so we might have a heads up on what kind of crazy he is this time around."

"Whale." That took the two of them by surprise, David's mouth gaping open and Snow's green eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. David recovers first, his hand moving back to his holstered pistol as rage darkens his face.

"That's it, I'm taking that pervert in and I'll find something to charge him with later!" It's me that does the pulling this time, having to dig my heels into the ground in order to stop David, though he does pull me after him a good few feet.

"Hey, technically, we're about the same age, I only look nineteen because your wife can't keep her mouth shut and started a chain reaction!" David glares down at me and it makes me wonder when everyone in this town began to worry about me. Nicky, Micah, Dad, and Papa I can understand, hell, even Regina since I spent so much time around her and Henry, but why these two? Is it because they feel like they have to protect everyone in town or they're failures? "Look, you're not my parents, I'm not your responsibility, and if I wanna date a guy that looks way older than me, then you can't do anything about it."

"The hell we can't," Snow remarks, pulling out her cell phone and walking out of hearing distance.

"Why do I have a feeling that I won't like who she's calling?"

"Because you won't," David answers smugly, keeping a tight hold on my arm to keep me from going anywhere. Even if I used my magic, I'd accidentally take him with me, and the last thing I need is for this goody two shoes to know that Papa's back in town and behind all of the new crazy. A few minutes later, Snow hangs up her phone and rejoins us and not long after that, my phone's ringing, the Tale Spin theme song telling me that it was my father doing the calling.

"You didn't?!"

"Oh, I did," Snow grins. Hesitantly, I accept the call and press my phone against my ear.

"H-hello?"

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing," Dad roars on the other end, making me flinch and hold the phone away from me. Even without it pressed against my ear, I can still hear him clearly. "I ought to come down there a beat that pervert senseless! Why can't you make one good decision lately? Is it so hard to be a good girl instead of siding with evil? Huh? Don't answer that, you just stay quiet and listen to me, young lady! I'm heading to your apartment right now, and if Whale is still there when I get there, then I'll make him wish he'd never laid eyes on you!" I hear the muffled voice of Emma interrupting his tirade, her words not as clear as my dad's. "What do you mean you'd arrest me for murder? I  _never_ said I'd kill him. I'll come close and he'll damn sure know pain he's never experienced, but I want him alive to spread the word!" I hang up quickly, stuffing my phone into my pants pocket.

"That was just plain wrong."

"I like him a little more now," David beams.

"Yeah, well, I need to go hide my boyfriend in case Dad manages to slip past your kid."

"Hey, Morgan." I turn to look at David, itching to get far away from the two snoops. I'll send a text to Whale, but I need to get to Papa. "Just be careful, okay? And if Whale tries to pressure you into doing something you don't want to do, call me and I'll take care of him."

"I can handle things myself."

"But you don't have to," Snow interjects," you don't have to rely on yourself all the time, Morgan." I give a nod to show I understand, my magic swirling around me and whisking me away to Papa's cabin.

* * *

 

"What on earth are you wearing," Papa asks when I appear in the cabin, everyone else either not here yet or gone already. Personally, I see nothing wrong with my clothes except for a coffee stain on one of my sweater sleeves, but Papa has always been about appearances, so it doesn't surprise me when he changes my outfit to something I'd usually be seen wearing in public—a black, high-wasted mini-skirt, a white tank with skeleton's ribs and spine printed on the front, black heels, and a white leather jacket to cover my arms. "Well, I don't like it much, but I figured this would be more comfortable than the type of clothing you wore in our realm."

"Fair enough, I guess," I shrug, moving to sit on a table by the window. "Were you in my house?" My messenger bag has been hung up on a coat rack across the room and the last time I saw it was this morning when I was using it as a pillow on the couch. Oh God, has he killed Whale?

"Yeah, I packed you a few things to keep you occupied today." No mention of the doctor, so maybe he got out in time? "By the way, I had to put Whale on pause, so he wouldn't realize I was back. Why was he eating your cereal on your couch?" The look he sends me is daring me to try and lie, so he can catch me, but I remain silent, my lips pressed together tightly and my eyes narrowing slightly as I try to think up a way to break the news to him.

"Weeeell," I draw the word out, voice a higher pitch than it usually is. He holds up a hand, shaking his head with an expression of disappointment. The fact that I disappointed him on any level has me ducking my head in guilt, a part of me yelling that he had no right to make me feel that way and an even louder part of me—the part of me from childhood—yells that I should do everything in my power to keep him happy. "I'm sorry, Papa." He doesn't say anything, picking up an fire poker and moving around a few of the logs in the fireplace. It kept the little cabin warm, the bite of winter unwelcome in a space so small compared to the house he left Belle and me.

**Later That Night**

Knowing there was nothing I could do until the others show up, I focus on other things, singing softly under my breath. " _Heart don't fail me now, courage don't desert me, don't turn back now that we're here. People always say life is full of choices, no one ever mentions fear. Or how the word can seem so vast on a journey to the past. Somewhere down this road, I know someone's waiting. Years of dreams just can't be wrong_." The door of the cabin opens, allowing Cruella, Ursula, and Maleficent to step inside. " _Arms will open wide, I'll be safe and wanted, finally home where I belong. Well, starting now, I'm learning fast on this journey to the past..._ " I trail off, catching Mal's eye and giving her a shy smile. I haven't seen her since long before the curse, I actually thought she was dead until Papa told me otherwise yesterday. " _Home, love, family, there once a time I must have had them too. Home, love, family, I will never be complete until I find you._ "

"Well, where the hell have you been all night," Papa demands to know, turning away from the fire as the women file in.

"Don't be nasty," Mal responds in an unconcerned tone," Regina came to find us. We had some catching up to do."  _Oh right, time for the big reveal._

"Regina? What was  _she_ after?" Papa looks on edge, knowing that the brunette could bring him down easily if she wanted to. All she has to do is drag Belle into the mess.

"She's a regular Samuel Culper," I inform everyone, though only Papa got the reference. "The Charmings either paid her into doing their dirty work or blackmailed her. She wants to find the author like y'all do and make him write her a happy ending." I tilt my head to the side, standing up and walking towards Papa. The gears in his head are turning, I can see that clearly enough in the expression he makes. "You think you can turn her."

"Perhaps. After all, heartache is what turned her to darkness before and she's just had her heart broken recently. She's in great pain and that makes her easy to manipulate."

"As you and I both know, pain makes you stronger," Mal states knowingly.

"Indeed it does. When war hits Storybrooke, everyone's gonna have to pick a side, including Regina." His eyes flick to me, as though trying to gauge whose side I would pick or if I'd try and stay neutral as I have most of these years.

"What war are you talking about," I ask nervously, already picking out ways to keep my nephew safe.

"Oh, the one we're about to start. And tonight... We're gonna throw the first punch." I close my eyes as he moves to poke at the logs again, letting out a long, slow sigh.  _What should I do_? "Maleficent, why don't you go speak to Regina about our author?" Mal dons her coat again, patting my shoulder as she walks past me. Pan moves inside as Mal exits, looking around the cabin with a hint of a smirk on his face. He's aged slightly, his messy blond hair slightly longer than it was when I first pushed him out of town. "Pan." The greeting is cold, not holding any hint of friendliness as the man moves to stand next to me. Papa looks at him over his shoulder, gripping the poker so hard that his knuckles turned white. "I'd suggest that you move away from my daughter."

"Or better yet..." I let my sentence trail off, plunging my hand into his chest and removing it with an expression of shocked disbelief. "What the hell?"

"Sorry, my darling," Pan grins," I've no heart for you to take."

"No, but I happen to know about a very sensitive piece of anatomy all men have in common." I jerk my knee up, Pan barely moving in time to avoid it, one of his hands moving to cover his crotch and the other outstretched to keep me at bay. "What the fuck are you doing here, you troll?!"

"I'm here for my happy ending just like everybody else. Can we possibly finish this little mission without you taking away my ability to have children?"

"After what you did, I wouldn't stake my life on it."

"That's quite enough," Papa states, cutting off whatever retort Pan had. "Pan, you don't leave this cabin because most of the people in Storybrooke want you dead a whole lot more than they want me dead. Morgan, why don't you go get some rest, you look like you need it. I, on the other hand, have some old business to take care of." I grab my bag from the coat rack and walk out of the cabin, using my magic when I'm a few feet away and transporting myself back to the safety of my apartment. Whale is gone, probably wandering back to his house after Papa's magic wore off.

"Where the hell have you been all day?" I wince at my Dad's voice, turning and finding him standing in my kitchen.

"Busy," I grumble, dropping my bag and shouldering past him to get to my fridge and the leftover goulash inside. "I was looking for Snow and David's double agent and ran into Cruella instead. Have I ever mentioned how much that coat-full of crazy gets on my nerves?" He doesn't relax in the slightest, closing the fridge door as I move to dump the leftovers in a pot and heating them up on the stove. "You hungry? I could eat a horse." Dad leans against the counter, blue eyes studying my every movement.

"Do you have your heart back?"

"Yeah, Pan put it back once he started to feel guilty. Just FYI, apparently his is absent."

"You tried to crush it?"

"More along the lines of I wanted to watch him do the splits and all other things men find painful." That gets a smile, my dad moving out of the kitchen and back into the living room to shuffle through my movie collection. This was our evening routine on the nights he doesn't spend with Emma, I'd cook dinner and we'd eat it while watching a movie together. "I was thinking we could watch The Hangover tonight."

"Only because I happen to love the tiger song."


	77. Chapter 77

**Agrabah** — **Past**

Killian and Milah moved swiftly through the crowded market place, Milah clutching a small bundle tightly in her arms and Killian with one hand on her lower back and the other grasping the hilt of his sword. Something is wrong with their baby and they have to know what it is. At only six months old, she'd stopped eating, barely moved, and slept too much even at such a young age. So here they were, Agrabah, where an old acquaintance of Killian's owed a debt that would be paid today. The palace looms ahead of them, much larger than any back in the Enchanted Forest and made of white marble with golden tops that seemed to wink in the mid-afternoon sunlight. The guard outside is a burly man in his twenties, the beginnings of a beard covering his cheeks. "State your names and the purpose of being here," the guard demands, holding tightly to his spear.

"Killian Jones," Killian answers breathlessly," my wife, Milah, and our daughter, Aveena. We're here to see Jafar."

"Why would the Grand Vizier want to see a pirate, a whore, and their child?"

"Try not to think too much, Razoul," comes the drawling tones of Jafar as he rides up next to Killian. "Open the gate and let us through." Razoul does so hurriedly, having to use all his strength to move the heavy marble across the sand. Killian and Milah follow Jafar to the stables and then to his private study in the palace, Jafar's magic helping them along without gaining any suspicious stares. "Now, why are you here, Jones?"

"My daughter," he states instantly," she's very ill and none of the healers know what to do." Jafar moves to stand in front of Milah, pulling back the light blanket that kept Aveena's face protected from the harsh sunlight and sand. Her complexion was too pale, no flush to her cheeks to show that the heat of Agrabah had effected her in any way. If it wasn't for the light rise and fall of her chest, he would have proclaimed the child as dead. "Do you know what's wrong with her?"

"I have a few ideas." Jafar takes the child gently into his arms, checking her over intently and seeing how she reacts to his magic. It was interesting, like she was trying to do something magical herself, but the effort drained her completely, leading to her constantly exhausted state. "Hmm, well, this  _is_  interesting. Have you been to many magical realms since your daughter was born, Captain?"

"What? No, she's been too sick to travel very far."

"Do you have magical blood in your family?"

"Uh...?"

"Think hard, Jones." Killian squeezes his eyes closed, trying to remember his long-gone family ties. What was it his aunt had told him? Something about a strange ability that skips entire generations sometimes?

"My aunt had magic," he says slowly," she could absorb it from other people and use it as her own." He shakes his head sadly, wishing he'd had more time to get to know the woman who'd always been so kind to him. "The people in my village found out and drowned her as a witch."

"There's your answer, you need to get the child to a place where there's quite a bit of magic—I would suggest going for light magic since she doesn't react well to darkness." Jafar hands her back to her mother, Milah wrapping the child back up tightly. "A magic bean may be able to help and I know just the man for you to contact. Consider my debt paid with this information."

"Yes, of course. What is his name?"

"He goes by the name of Smee."

**Storybrooke**

"Do hope we're not interrupting," Dad says as he and Ursula walk into Papa's shop, drawing everyone's attention away from the game of Scrabble we were playing. I can see Ursula connecting the dots when her brown eyes flick between me and my dad, noting all the similarities," but we need the thief's assistance."  _Not you_ , I mouth to Nicky, letting him know that Dad meant Will. Belle was too nice sometimes and allowed the thief from Wonderland to help her out in the store if it meant he wasn't off getting shit-faced.

"And how do I know that you're really Killian," Belle responds.

"Because, if he wasn't, he wouldn't be asking for help," I point out," pretend or not, Papa doesn't request that things be done."

"You see, Vee knows me better than anyone in Storybrooke."

"Plus he's calling me Vee in stead of Morgan, that's a big hint right there." I go back to the game, using my tiles to spell out the longest word on the board. Nicky lets out a groan, thumping his head on the table and just keeping it there as he mentally tallies up my new score.

"And why should I help you," Will demands.

"Because for once, we want the same thing," Dad answers," the Dark One gone." I tense at that, my hands curling into fists in my lap. I just got him back and they already want him gone again. What about Pan? Have they forgotten about him already? "The key to making that happen is in here." Dad pulls out a ship in a bottle, the intricate detailing and gold trim making it known exactly which ship that is. How did that get there? Did Blackbeard do it like he did in that Pirates of the Caribbean film?

"Right. That your ship, is it?" Dad nods, staring at the ship in obvious pain. "Bit small, isn't it?" That gets a rise out of him, Dad's first urge to protect the honor of his beloved  _Jolly Roger_.

"Careful, mate, it's unwise to insult the size of a pirate's ship." I could've gone on without hearing that. "And you spent more time in Wonderland than anyone I know. You must have something that can restore it." Where's Jefferson run off to? He probably knows all about this stuff and we could get answers without dick innuendos being tossed around.

"You're in luck. I think I might have just what you need."

* * *

 

 **SOS GOLD'S CABIN.** I let out a groan when I see the text from David, quickly dressing in the appropriate clothing and using my magic to poof me there. Ursula has Snow in a headlock, not yet noticing that I'm right behind her.

"Drop those hands," Ursula warns," or your mother here's gonna need gills to breathe." What happened to my dad? Just the thought of the walking calamari laying one finger on him has my anger rising and I feel the need to rip the squid into pieces.

"What did you do to my father," I ask in a dangerous tone. Ursula looks at me over her shoulder, not looking nearly as scared as she should. Did she really think I'd hold back just because the do-gooders are here?

"He's dead."

"Then you can join him." I raise my hand, magic swirling around it as I try to think of a suitable way to kill her before my train of thought is derailed by my dad gently grasping my wrist in his good hand. "Daddy?" I let out a sigh of relief, leaning back against the cabin door as he steps further inside.

"How are you still breathing?"

"I'm good at surviving," Dad quips," or you're bad at killing. Either way, you don't need the Author to get what you want. I know why you couldn't release your voice from that shell." Wait, so it wasn't Ariel's voice that was stolen? No, that's not quite right, she told Belle how Regina snatched her voice in punishment for defending Snow, so who the hell stole the sea bitch's voice? "Only the one who enchanted it can do that." Ursula's brow furrows at that, an expression of confusion and hurt crossing her features.

"Wait. You don't mean..."

"Aye." She looks to the door again.

"Father?" A big guy steps inside, dressed in weird armor and a heavy fur cloak.

"Ursula," the guy greets. The witch releases Snow, her tentacle pushing the other woman at David as Ursula's full attention goes to her father.

"How are you here—in this land?"

"A young mermaid found me and brought me through a portal. I need to say something." I need to get out of here before the cheesy lines make me sick to my stomach. I step outside, turning my back to the cabin and walking towards the trees. The woods will be a nice place to just hide out in, no drama can reach me out there. I find another clearing after a mile or so, a small one with a few fallen trees that form a semi circle in the center of the space. I sit on one, drawing my knees up to my chest and closing my eyes, focusing on controlling the darkness inside of me. How easy it is to slip into killing mode scares me sometimes, but I know I can control it.

"Morgan," Pan calls from the other side of the clearing, his footsteps light and his magic crackling around him. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Pan," I retort dryly. I can feel the heat coming off his body when he sits next to me, too close for my liking, but if I scoot over I'll just fall off the log. "Don't you have fluffy animals to kick or old ladies to push into traffic?" I glare at him, daring him to try anything I don't like, because he may not have a heart, but I still know a few tricks that'll have him screaming in a less than pleasant way. He seems to pick up on the meaning of my glare, scooting away a little to give me my bubble back.

"I want your help. You know how to suck magic out and I want you to take Mordred's magic and push it out of me."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because then I wouldn't have the almost overwhelming urge to snap your neck for what Mordred thinks you did to his son." I suppose that's reason enough. I stand, grabbing the front of Pan's tee and hauling him to his feet as well before grasping his forearm. The magic was easy to draw out, it's a slow process, but it works well enough. The inky black magic collects as a ball in my hand before dissipating entirely. Without a vessel, the magic is harmless. "Thank you."

"Fuck off."

"Come now, Morgan. No need to be shy." I move to walk away from him, but Pan grabs my arm and yanks me back, our chests pressed tightly together as one of his hands hold onto the back of my neck to keep me from struggling too much when he crushes his lips against mine. He's weaker without Mordred's magic in him and easy to throw using my own, his body hitting a tree with enough force to crack the wood.

"Never presume to touch me like that again."


	78. Chapter 78

**Dark Castle**

"She's in such pain," Rumple frowns, staring down at the infant with pitying eyes. The dark magic in the castle was overwhelming her delicate senses, too much of it seeping into her and her body too frail to expel it from her. He would need to do something, put her in a state where he could control it all until she was able to do it herself. But what could he do that wouldn't harm her in the long run? If only she could just sleep through the whole ordeal, then it could be done without him worrying. Wait a moment, that's brilliant! A sleeping curse would put her out without a problem and then he could suck some of the darker magic out of her and check her heart while he was at it.

Over the next few weeks, Rumple gathers and mixes the proper ingredients, careful that everything was exact. Too much of anything and she would never wake up again. Finally, Rumple was ready to enact the curse—he lays her down in her bed, sitting beside her and smoothing the hair off her face. She was already asleep, her breathing ragged and her heart beating too fast in her chest. Rumple licks his lips nervously—when was the last time he was so nervous?—and dips the spinning needle into the potion before pricking Aveena's finger with it. Blood welled at the surface, but Rumple healed the wound quickly to avoid infection, going to work on drawing the magic out of the child.

He didn't need her dying before he felt his revenge was sated, he wanted to know she thought of him as her papa and no one else before he allowed her to perish. As it is, she can't even use real words yet, so now is not the time. Slowly, her breathing returns to the normal deep breaths of sleep, color coming back into her cheeks, and her heart slowing to normal. With a sigh of relief, Rumple carefully reaches into her chest and pulls out her heart, examining the small organ in his hand thoroughly. It was a bright red, the purest heart he's ever seen since Bae's, not a hint of blackness. Her magic felt pure as well, what little of it she was able to let out, despite the magic going in her being the darkest in the realms. It was remarkable. Feeling content, he slips the heart back in place and places a soft kiss against her forehead, pulling the child out of the curse and back into normal dreams.

**Storybrooke**

There are times when I really miss being cursed, back when things were always boring and the most exciting thing to happen was when I was invited to a party at the community college. Now getting arrested at a wild party is considered tame, hell, even preferable compared to the beasts I've been having to face lately. Now I'm being told that the guy we've been looking for this entire time is trapped in a piece of paper. I  _really_  miss those boring days. "How the hell is the Author trapped inside the book," Regina asks, staring down at the page in her hands. There's a simple illustration on it of a door that's gilded in gold—looking a lot like a door from our world.

"I've been wondering that since squirt brought it up," I remark, tossing a softball up and catching it. "Maybe August was lying through his teeth? That  _is_ what he's known for." The man in question doesn't say anything, looking around the room from his spot on the couch with barely opened eyes.

"No, his nose would have grown if he was."

"So, he talked around the issue, gave just enough details in such a vague way that his nose wouldn't grow and it'd be believable."

"Like in that Shrek movie," Henry points out with a smile.

"Exactly."

"Guys, something's wrong with August." I look back down at August, finding him completely unconscious and barely breathing. Regina and Emma move fast and I get out of their way to avoid getting run over. The magic Papa used on him is taking its toll, but he'll be alright eventually. "Can you help him, Mo?" I shrug, resting a hand on his hot forehead. A low grade fever isn't unusual, he was probably coming down with something before all of this started and the stress is only speeding the illness up. I focus on the magic that was forced into him, drawing it out a little at a time until dizziness overwhelms me and I fall to the ground, clutching my own head in both of my hands.

"Easy, Morgan," Regina scolds as she kneels next to me and Emma moves to call the Mother Superior. "I know you have a gift, but you're going to wear yourself out after all that you've been through lately." I don't meet her gaze, but I know she suspects me. "Henry, why don't you and Emma move August to his bed and I'll help Morgan up onto the couch."

"Alright." Once the the three were out of hearing range and Regina had me lying where August had just been, she forces me to look at her, fingers gently grasping my chin.

"You knew about Gold this entire time, didn't you?"

"Yes," I whisper, afraid of being overheard. "He's my papa, no matter what he does, I'm still going to love him. I've been talking to him this entire time, I watched him stroll back into Storybrooke, but you have to know that I won't let him hurt Henry. No matter what, I will always protect the people I care about, and I love squirt more than anything."

"I know... Just be careful, if Gold finds out that you're not entirely on his team, then he might do something he'll regret later. You told me what nearly happened after Belle was shot and we both know that Gold's temper is not something to test."

"I lived with him all this time, I know more than you about how badly his temper blinds him."

"...Does he beat you, Morgan?"

"No, it was more verbal than anything else and he always apologized afterwards."  _But he never really meant it, the things you say in anger are often what you really feel and I know how Papa works better than anyone else here_. "I'm gonna run home, Whale said he was taking me to lunch and that I needed to dress nicely for it."

"You're dating Whale now?"

"Mm-hm, and don't give me another lecture, I'm not in the mood for one." I give her a forced smile and stand up, grabbing my bag on the way out the door. "Call me later and I'll watch after squirt."

* * *

 

I open the door when I hear knocking, fully expecting to see Whale on the other side, but Pan is the person that greets me. "You look awful nice," he comments with a smile, leaning against the doorway in such a casual way that makes it obvious the persona I gave him when I pushed him out is still inside him. "You going on a date or something?" I say nothing, letting him work it out by himself as I push past him and seal my door with magic. Not even Papa can break that spell without me knowing about it. I barely make it to the stairs that lead down to the ground level when Pan runs after me. "Are you serious? Who is it?"

"None of your business, Pan," I respond briskly, taking the stairs two at a time and praying the heel of my shoe doesn't break. I may have great magic, but these shoes are expensive and they're never the same once broken. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a boyfriend to meet." With his long legs, it's not hard to Pan to keep up with me, beating me to the sidewalk and making me come to a stop abruptly or run right into him, though I suspect he hoped for the latter at this point. "What's your deal? You're the one that ruined everything by going psycho to begin with!"

"That doesn't mean I lied to you about how I felt."

"You felt lust, Pan! That was it, and you can't prove otherwise."

"If I didn't love you, Morgan, then I would have killed you before I let you force me out of town." I wouldn't have believed him if I didn't look in his eyes, the pale green irises telling everything Pan was feeling even when he didn't want them to. Back on Neverland, when the Alp was in control, those eyes were always filled with anger and hatred because that's what the Alp fed off of, but when it was Pan in charge, those eyes spoke of past happiness and the pain he was in. I always passed it off as Pan being an actor before I knew about Felix, but now... What the hell am I supposed to think now? "If I truly hated you as much as you seem to think I do, you wouldn't have ever left Neverland alive." I open my mouth to say something, but the words were stuck in my throat and I'm left in a staring match with Pan, my feelings conflicted. And then, before I got the chance to say anything, a pulse of magic hit and Pan collapsed into sleep. A sleeping curse? Maleficent! With wide eyes, I begin to run, knowing they'd be going after the book and Henry never left his house without it. I meet my nephew halfway to the Charming loft, both of us breathing hard and stopping only long enough to think of a place to hide out.

"The mansion," Henry says breathlessly," that would be the last place they thought of!"

"Alright," I nod, nudging him forward," we have to move fast because those guys aren't going to sit around." And the running began again, a hard thing to do in high heels, but I didn't have time to change them into something else or take them off. "Keep moving, squirt, we have to keep our head start!" He nods, easily running ahead of me since he has practical shoes on. I thought I was going to die until I finally spotted the mansion ahead of us, my lungs burning and my eyes watering from the strain. "God, my legs are going to look amazing if we keep this up." Henry gives a faint laugh as I follow him into the house, shutting the door behind us, but unable to seal it since I'm too weak and unable to lock it since there wasn't a way.

"Back here, there's a secret room."

"You go on ahead and I'll find you in a second." He nods walking through the house while I slide down the wall, trying to catch my breath and wipe my eyeliner and mascara off my face from where it'd streaked. I pull a small mirror and a tissue out of my purse, using it to make sure I don't look too much like the creature from the Black Lagoon. When I was ready, I stuff everything back into my purse and follow the way Henry went, limping slightly from where the heels were pinching my toes. I find him in the secret room he told me about, the walls basically just bookcases filled with blank copies of Henry's storybook. "Henry?"

"Under here, Mo." I find him hidden under one of the long tables, his legs crossed as he looks up at me from his hiding spot. I crawl under the table, the top of my head brushing it as I sit with my legs under me. I can't exactly sit the way Henry is since I'm wearing a rather short dress. Why do these things always interfere with my dates? It almost never fails, I'll never get laid again at this rate. "Aunt Mo, you need to see this. T-the door is glowing like a light was turned on inside." I scoot close to my nephew, looking at the door and spotting what he meant. A faint glow seeped out from under it, like someone on the other side just flipped a switch. Light shone from the keyhole as well, Henry and I turning to follow the light to see that it stopped at a desk drawer behind us.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That we need to open that drawer?"

"You know, it's scary how much we think alike at times." With twin smiles, we leave the hiding spot and walk over to the desk, both of us reach out one hand and curl our fingers around the handle of the drawer. "Uno, dos, tres..." Together and in sync, we pull the drawer open, spotting a single, small key inside.

"No way!" He picks it up, holding it so we can both take a good look at it right as the secret door is pushed open. "Grandma, grandpa, you won't believe what I just—" But it's not Snow or David that steps into the room, it's Regina.

"What, Henry," she asks, walking over to us. I move to stand slightly in front of Henry, sensing a familiar magic that doesn't belong to the woman in front of me.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Henry tries to walk over to her, but I grab the back of his coat and pull him back over to me.

"Mal," I call out, looking over Regina's shoulder at the doorway," why don't you stop hiding and come out already. And bring the dog lady with you." Cruella and Maleficent walk into the room, Cruella looking far too pleased with herself considering the only reason Papa brought her along was to be the thing that turned Emma dark.

"I'd say you have no reason to be alarmed," Cruella tells Henry," but I'm afraid I'd be lying."

"You touch my nephew and I'll make torture seem like the easy way out," I snarl, holding Henry closer to me despite the fact that he's almost as tall as I am. "Please try it, I've been wanting to take my anger out on someone, and lady, that nose job needs to be fixed. Maybe my fist could do the trick." Cruella reaches up to touch her nose, looking as offended as a person could get.

"That's enough, Aveena," Mal says softly," we just need that page and we'll leave you both alone."

"No," Henry replies instantly.

"Henry Daniel Mills," Regina says, taking on the Mom tone that had Henry and I instantly wincing. She only used that tone when we really screwed something up or were in deep trouble, so it's only instinct for us to want to do whatever she says when she uses the tone. "You will do as I say." After a minute of defiant silence, Henry accedes and hands her the page, the faint spark of magic coming off it belonging to Emma.  _It's the copy from earlier_.

"Okay." Regina knows it the second she touches it, but none of us give the secret away as she hands the page to Mal.

"As promised. Now let's find Gold and set this Author free."

I let out a long sigh when the magic of the three women is gone from the house, sitting on top of the table and resting my head in my hands. I'll be so glad when the drama dies down, so I can have a brief moment of rest. I've been relying on my magic too much lately and it's draining me faster than it ever has. I jump when the door opens again, Snow and David charging inside yelling Henry's name. "Morgan," David breathes when Henry rejoins us, moving to cup my face in his hands and turning my head side to side to examine me. "Are you okay? The villains should be here soon, can you walk?"

"They've already been here," Henry informs them as David hauls me up in his arms, the hero noticing the way I was swaying.

"What? Did they take the page?"

"They think they did." Henry looks smug, but I can't keep my eyes open for long, so I close them and rest my head against David's shoulder.  _So warm_. "Except my mom, of course. She just gave me and Mo a look, and I knew exactly what she meant."

"You gave them the forged page Emma made."

"Smart kid," I hear Snow say. "Where's the real one?" The sounds become distorted as I begin to pass out, everything feeling like it was spinning just before I lose consciousness.


	79. Chapter 79

The next time my eyes open, I'm strapped in a wheelchair in the the woods, a cloth stuffed in my mouth with tape keeping me from spitting it out. With everything still a little hazy, it takes me a minute to realize I don't have enough strength to use my magic. I blink a few times, letting out a small whimper when I move my wrists. More tape there and it's definitely a bad thing since I'm allergic to adhesive, the stuff making the skin it touches turn a dark red and begin to sting. My eyes move from my wrists to the boy beside me, Henry's wrists tied behind his back with rope. Cruella is a few feet away, sitting on the hood of her car and playing a game on my nephew's phone. "Blasted birds," I hear her complain," I'll show you what angry looks like." I roll my eyes, closing them until I suddenly feel myself being pulled out of the wheelchair. While I'd been in and out of my hazy state, Henry had used part of a glass bottle to cut us both loose and now we're being forced to run through the woods with an enraged Pongo after us. I rip the tape from my mouth and spit out the cloth, smacking my lips a little to get some moisture back in my mouth.

"What the hell is going on," I ask, stumbling after my nephew," the last thing I remember was falling asleep at the Sorcerer's mansion!"

"That was yesterday," Henry explains," you've been in the hospital and Cruella must've took you before she grabbed me." It's hard to run in my weak state, Henry the only thing really keeping me on my feet as we sprint through the trees, jumping over fallen branches and batting away vines. "Help us! Please!" Henry keeps shouting, hoping one of our parents would find us, but that stops abruptly when we nearly run right off a cliff, the sudden stop in movement causing me to fall hard. "Pongo..." The rabid Dalmatian growls at us, baring his teeth with such rage I've never seen in him before.

"Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks," Cruella japes, bursting through the trees with a glare and a pistol. "You shouldn't have run." She points the pistol at my nephew and I find myself unable to get back up, too weak and my shaking arms barely managing to keep my upper body off the ground.

"Henry, Morgan!" Emma bursts through next, looking ready to commit murder. Cruella doesn't hesitate to grab my nephew, pressing the pistol against his chest as she glares down the Savior. "Let them go!"

"I'm afraid not. Come any closer and I'll shoot them both! One small dead Author, that's all I asked. Simple revenge, and you failed utterly."

"Put the gun down, Cruella."

"Mom," Henry says, looking calmer than I do. My arms give out and I fall the rest of the way to the ground, turning onto my back to watch the crazy lady holding my nephew hostage.

"It's gonna be okay, Henry."

"I'll do it, Savior," Cruella threatens," believe me, I will."

"Cruella." Emma raises her hands, light magic glowing around them and showing the other lady just how powerful Emma is.  _This is Papa's plan, this could turn Emma's heart dark, and then Papa will have his happy ending. Does that happy ending include me? What will happen to Henry if Emma misses her target?_

"Put your hands down, Savior. We both know you're bluffing."

"That's my son."  _He's my nephew_.

"And you're a hero, and heroes don't kill."

"I'm not a hero," I point out with a small smile. Cruella and the others look down at me, but none can react in time when I throw myself forward and knock Henry out of Cruella's hold. "I told you, Cruella, your death would do nothing to me. You shouldn't have threatened my nephew." I bring my foot back and kick her shin as hard as I can, sending her stumbling backwards off the cliff. I flinch when I hear her hit the rocks below, the sound echoing in my head as I fall back to the ground again, breathing hard and fighting back tears. Emma and Henry move over to me, the three of us joining in a group hug even as more of my strength leaves me.

"Emma," I hear Snow whimper seconds later," tell me you didn't."

"She didn't, I did. Can someone take me home now? I want to see my dad."

**The Next Day....**

"You know," Whale smiles as he enters my hospital room," you keep coming here for these visits and I think I'll have to start charging rent." I give him a smile back, muting the TV and sitting up in the bed. "You, uh, you have a visitor, but I'm not sure if you'll want to see her." The strange warmth that fills the room tells me exactly who it is and I give Whale a little shrug and a nod. "Okay, scream if this one tries to kidnap you."

"You got it," I nod," I'll even tell her that taking wheelchairs without permission is severely frowned upon." Whale leaves the room with a grin, Maleficent entering a little bit afterwards.

"You look terrible," she says, sitting at the foot of my bed. "Do they know what's causing this?"

"I've been using too much magic lately and not giving myself enough time to recharge my batteries. I haven't really had the chance to cool off, things just keep happening that force me to use my magic." I send her a pointed look, the blonde shrugging with a lazy smile. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Your papa sent me since he couldn't come without risking his life. He told me to give you this." She raises her hand, palm up, and a dark red and gold bundle of cloth appears in her hand. "If it wasn't for you, I would've told where he could shove his request." She places the bundle on my lap, watching me as I unfold it to reveal the cloak Papa wore all the time in the other world, the velvet cloth warm and familiar. "He said he wanted you to hang onto it until he has a chance to show up himself. He also thought you'd like it."

"He was right." I lean forward a little in order to wrap the cloak around me, fastening the gold clasp in place to secure it around my shoulders. "I used to wear this when I was younger, pretend I had wings and was flying through the castle."

"I know, I've seen you do it."

"What are you doing here," Dad demands when he walks inside, Whale trailing after him with an apologetic look. "Trying to kidnap her, too?"

"Sorry, I've known her for years and I know for a fact that I would bring her back after an hour. Your child has a tendency to annoy her captors into returning her." Dad's blue eyes land on me incredulously.

"Unbelievable, how many times have you been kidnapped?"

"Enough to have a system to fall back on," I reply, pulling Papa's cloak tighter around me. "What's up?"

"I was coming here for our movie day. I brought the ones you wrote down, though they do seem to be gruesome."

"They wouldn't have Stephen King's approval if they weren't." Mal gives a small smile as she stands, patting my leg.

"I'll visit you another time, Aveena," she says before she faces my father and boyfriend. "Gentlemen." She stops in the doorway, turning to face Whale and poking his chest in warning. "I have known that girl most of her life, I'm one of the few people Gold somewhat trusted to keep her alive, if I find out that you've hurt her in any way, I will  _burn you_. Understood?"

"He's got it, Mal." Whale nods hurriedly, all color drained from his face when he notices Mal's wicked grin.

"Good, have a nice day, Doctor." When Dad and I were alone in the room with Rose Red playing in the background, I finally let myself relax a little.

"Is Emma gone?"

"Yes, she just left before I came here and said she was sorry about what you had to do yesterday." I nod, feeling Dad's eyes on me even as I focus on the TV. "Vee.... What did that do to your heart?" I do meet his gaze then, having to scoot back slightly in order to look up at him in the narrow hospital bed. "I know what darkness does to people, and I know you've been forced to do some truly terrible things...." I draw in a deep breath before pulling out my heart for my dad to see, both of us staring down at the bright red organ. It beat steadily in my hand, not a trace of blackness soiling it. "I don't understand."

"My heart can't go dark, my magic keeps it pure no matter what I do. I don't really understand it, but that's just how it is." I put my heart back, letting out a hiss of pain. "Can we finish our movie now? It's just getting to the good part."

**Nicky**

Nicky had the day planned out perfectly, and stealing Belle's heart out of the mayor's office under the nose of a very mean dragon lady was not in those plans. Actually, he would rather be running laps with Micah right about now, but Gold had made it perfectly clear that it was either help get the heart back or Micah's would be crushed no matter how much Gold's daughter loved him. So here he is, staring through the window of the office as Gold draws Maleficent's attention away from the desk drawer and over to the door. "Looking for your wife's heart," Maleficent questions as Nicky starts on unlocking the window. It's fairly easy, his pocket knife catching the latch and twisting it into the unlocked position, so that he can swing the window open silently. "Why don't you come inside and get it?" Nicky ducks down in case Maleficent looks his way, but when he doesn't catch fire, he slowly straightens back up.

"I'm smarter than that, Dearie," Gold returns smugly. 

"Our work together is done. Emma and Regina are tracking my daughter as we speak." And as they spoke, Nicky climbed into the office and began to open drawers, ears straining for any sound of Belle's heart. "Soon, I'll have her back. And the Savior will be just fine."  _Blah, blah, blah,_  Nicky thinks to himself,  _why don't you brag about where the heart is stashed?_  

"Really? Now, did you ever think that your Lilith might be the one who keeps Miss Swan on her dark path? That two people tied by fate and by history might just have a way of.... Entangling themselves?"  _Ha!_  Nicky snatches the heart out of the bottom desk drawer, carefully stowing it in his jacket pocket and sliding the drawer closed again before moving back to the window. 

"You can try and scare me all you want. I won't return your wife's heart."

"No, no, Dearie." Gold chuckles at this and even Nicky felt slightly amused at it all. "You misunderstood. I already have it." Nicky looks over his shoulder at Gold's words, giving the dragon a cocky smile before allowing himself to drop to the ground and sprint away from the town hall. 

* * *

 

Nicky enters the pawn shop a few hours later, Micah right behind him. Micah was protective of everyone he cared about, and he wouldn't let Nicky confront Gold again without some magical backup. "Hey," Belle smiles as the two men walk over," I have some leftovers from Granny's if you guys are hungry." Micah doesn't return her smile, just scowling as he leans against a display case. He's back in one of his sour moods since Nicky didn't tell him what was happening until it was basically done. "Is something wrong? Micah's not usually that angry looking."

"I've something that belongs to you," Nicky answers, gently pulling the heart out of his jacket pocket.

"Is that...?" Her hand move to cover her chest, no doubt missing the steady thumping of her heart. 

"Uh-huh. Regina stole it."

"Why would she do that?" Gold enters the shop behind Belle, coming out of the backroom. 

"To use you as a pawn against me," Gold answers, startling Belle and making her spin to look at him at the same moment that Micah tenses and clenches his right hand into a fist. Even without his Gauntlet, he still uses his right hand when using magic. Belle, obviously unnerved, moves to stand beside Micah, knowing the older man knew magic as well as Gold does.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to be certain that Mister Faith here gave your heart back."

"Were you three working together?"

"Hell no," Micah scowls, jerking his arm out of Belle's grasp," it was him and Nicky doing the working while I was at the theater. Thank my husband's kind heart and 'can't say no' attitude. By the way, Gold, Nicky's last name is Blaine and you'd know that if you weren't a complete dick that got himself kicked out of town." Only two people could get away with talking to Gold like that, one was in the hospital and the other was Micah himself.

"Belle," Gold says, sending Micah and Nicky a hard look," I need to say something and I really need you to listen. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I spent everyday of our marriage deceiving you, when I should have been trying to make you happy. And now it's too late. My heart is nearly black. And if I continue hurting you.... Then there's no hope for me." Nicky holds out the heart for Gold to take, giving the older man a meaningful look. "I'm going to return this to you, Belle. But I know Nicky here will protect you and Micah will protect him, I know I'm unworthy of it all." Nicky closes his eyes when Gold pushes Belle's heart back into her chest, the disgusting squishing sound that accompanied it making him feel sick. Micah wraps Nicky in a hug, resting his head on Nicky's shoulder and rubbing his back in soothing circles. "Goodbye, Belle." Nicky watches over Micah's head as Gold leaves the shop, wondering what it must feel like to have such conflicted feelings about the person you thought was your true love.

And then he felt relief go through him because he knew he'd never have to find out. 


	80. Chapter 80

**Pan gets his heart back in this chapter and I've decided where I want Morgan/Vee to be in the finale where the endings are switched. Maybe I'll have Pan work in a brothel, he can be Morgan's ho. I changed the actor for Nicky, I decided the way I described him sounded more like Seth Numrich from Turn.**

**Neverland** — **Past**

Pan gasped as Felix's hand thrusts into his chest, Pan's heart being yanked out in a fit of rage as he falls to his knees in pain. Felix grins down at the boy, flexing his fingers around the heart and watching with glee as Pan squirms in the dirt from the pain of it. "This is what you get for being disobedient," Felix informs him, tossing the heart up in the air and catching it easily. "What to do with it now?" With a wicked grin, the Alp opens a portal and tosses the heart through it, closing it afterwards and watching as Pan's expression twists into absolute agony.

"F-Felix," Pan coughs, collapsing onto his back. "No..."

"Oh yes, you deserved this. I'll give your heart back when I can trust you again, but for now I have it in the safest spot in all the realms." After delivering a sharp kick to Pan's midsection, Felix walks further into the Dark Jungle. He'd expected this would happen one of these days, he'd had the plan set up from the beginning to find an excuse to remove Pan's heart. He'll be easier to control now and the only way he could get his heart back is by going to the land without magic. And Felix knew that would never happen, not with how power hungry Pan is. No, he'd only go to that horrid realm if he had no other choice.

**Storybrooke**

I poke at my scrambled eggs with my fork, not really in the mood for food right now. "What is this," Isaac asks, holding up his bagel with disgust.

"It's a bagel," Papa answers tiredly.

"Is it?" He lets it drop back to his plate, looking out the window of Granny's at the people passing by outside. I continue to stare at my eggs, Papa's cloak wrapped tightly around me. I haven't really had an appetite since I woke up a few days ago and Papa noticed, so he checked me out and he's been keeping an eye on me since then, hence the plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. I don't look up when the bells over the diner door jingle, this is the breakfast rush hour, so people would be coming in for the next few minutes or so. I poke at the eggs again, my head resting on one hand with my elbow on the table.

"Did you hear," Dad inquires, sitting across from Papa and forcing Isaac to move to sit across from me.

"This is why I hate this place," Papa sighs before his brown eyes land on my uneaten food. "Morgan Elizabeth Gold, you either eat that food or I'll feed you like I did when you were two." My eyes widen a fraction as I meet his stubborn gaze. "Sound-effects and all. Don't test me." Quickly, I scoop up a forkful of eggs and stuff them in my mouth, not daring to irritate him when he's in a bad mood anyway. Satisfied, Papa moves his gaze back to my father. "Are you sure you want to start your day by tangling with the Dark One?" I kick him under the table, tired of their fighting.

"The Dark One that can't strike back without charring his heart. You're toothless, old dog." I kick Dad next, taking another bit of my food when both of my parents send me matching looks of annoyance. "I came here to give you good news, Gold. Emma's already on her way back. And guess what? She didn't turn evil after all. So I get to find  _my_ happiness, and you will  _never_ find yours." Dad leans forward, a darkly satisfied look making itself known on his face as he points at Papa. "And for you, never is a long time, mate."

"It's funny," Papa murmurs before Dad can leave," because I already have a piece of my happy ending, and she's been with me her entire life." Papa rests a hand on my shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze as the satisfaction drains from Dad's face and only the darkness is left. It reminds me of the old him, the one that thought kidnapping me was the way to make me realize he was my father. I don't like the look either one of the two are sending each other—it just makes Isaac and I uncomfortable. "I do wonder who she would have chosen if we weren't interrupted that night six weeks ago?"

"I wonder when you two will pull your heads out of your asses," I grumble, scooting forcefully until Papa lets me out of the booth," but I suppose we'll never have that answer either." I use magic to take me back to my old room in Belle's and Papa's house, collapsing on my bed and looking up at the ceiling with my legs hanging off the edge.

"I always thought you looked the most beautiful when you were angry," Pan remarks, stepping inside with an arrogant half-smile. "Now is no exception."

"What are you doing here, Pan?"

"I followed your magic." He moves away from the door and sits beside me on the bed, reaching out a hand to tug on a loose curl of my hair. "The scent of fresh rainfall is easy to find when I know it so well." I roll my eyes at his words, knowing full well that our magic had intertwined despite how much I hate him. We're joined in a way I would never be with anyone else in this world. "What's got you so angry, my darling?"

"You mean besides the fact that a homicidal maniac won't leave me alone? I guess both of my fathers' wanting to murder each other doesn't help, add to that the fact that I don't know whose side to take in this whole ugly situation and I have a shit storm waiting to happen at any given second. I'm totally fucked and there's nothing I can do to change it."

"We could leave Storybrooke, live in New York with no magic and just us."

"There's a flaw in your logic, Pan—we're not together anymore and you hate fried foods." Pan scowls, flopping backwards on my bed and staring up at the ceiling in the same way I am. "How do I chose between my dads?"

"I don't know, sweetheart, but you'll figure it out." After a pause, I can feel Pan tensing next to me before he turns onto his side and presses his ear over my chest. "Morgan... Are you a Time Lord?"

"Last time I checked, all my screwdrivers around here haven't been soniced, so that's a negative, ghost rider." Pan's brow furrows and he straddles my waist, his hand pressed against the right side of my chest. And then I felt it, a strange fluttering under his hand that wasn't there before. I give Pan a frightened look, half-expecting an alien to pop out, but Pan takes the advantage of surprise and plunges his hand in me, ripping out a small red thing seconds later. "I-is that... Please tell me that's not...?" He nods a little, staring at the heart he holds, turning it over in his hands to examine it. Just like my own heart, it hasn't been corrupted or blackened, but it's a little smaller than normal hearts. "Why was your heart in my chest?" Pan looks as dumbstruck as I do, so obviously he wasn't expecting a heart to show up. Now that I've noticed it though, I feel a little lighter, like a pressure I've been dealing with most of my life has just been lifted.

"Felix," Pan mutters after a moment," he took my heart when I disobeyed one of his orders and refused to bring a boy to the island... He said he hid it away in one of the safest spots in all the realms and I guess the chest of the Dark One's daughter is about as safe as it gets." I sit up and take his heart from him, pushing it into his chest and watching him flinch from the sudden pain and then gasp when he feels it beating. Pan rubs the space my hand just left, looking at me with widened eyes. "Thank you, Morgan, I haven't felt like myself in a very long time."

"Don't mention it... Seriously, though, please don't because it's weird enough with just the two of us knowing."

"I'll never speak of it again, don't worry." Pan's gone tense again, as though he just realized something important—somewhere between forgetting his term paper the hour before it's due and accidentally spilling coffee on his computer. "Before you get too comfortable there's something you should know." I sit up a little straighter, pulling at the hem of my skirt. "It's about Zelena... She's very much alive and Regina's having her sealed in the asylum where Belle was for twenty-eight years." He says the words quickly, as though that would soften the blow and my anger, but it didn't dull the rage burning in my blood. "Now, Morgan, it wouldn't be smart to just charge in there—" I jump up and push Pan out of my way, not getting halfway down the stairs before Pan catches up again. "You're too weak to do the witch any harm!"

"It's her fault that I'll never get to see my brother again! I'm going to cut out her heart out with a spoon!"

"Why a spoon?" He doesn't try to stop me anymore, just following as though to make sure I don't get myself killed.

"Because it's dull, it'll hurt more, you twit!" I pause at the front door, turning to look at Pan suspiciously. "Did you just get me to quote  _Robin Hood_ in a tone just like Alan Rickman? Freaking seriously?" Pan gives me a shit-eating grin and a shrug, leaning his back against the door in an attempt to look cool, but his moment is ruined when my door suddenly opens and he falls backwards, landing at Whale's feet.

"Uh..." Whale starts, his brow furrowed as he looks from Pan to me. "Should I be concerned?"

"The only person you need be concerned for is in your hospital," Pan remarks, Whale rolling his eyes when he realizes who Pan is talking about. "Honestly, the worst Morgan can do in her weak state is strangle the bitch, so you might as well just let her do it."

"About that, Zelena's pregnant and it's Robin's child."

"I'm sorry, I think I misunderstood you," I say in confusion. "Did you just say that Zelena's preggers and Robin is the baby daddy?" Whale nods a little, looking unsure at my suddenly calm demeanor. "That's just wrong, but I suppose I'll have to wait until the witch pops before I can discreetly shank her."

"As long as you do it discreetly."

* * *

 

"I have a problem," Maleficent states, walking into my apartment without warning or invitation. Whale, Pan, and I look up at the woman as she paces in front of my TV.

"Sure," I say," come on in and welcome to Morgan Gold's wayward home for evil has-beens." Maleficent levels me with one of her best glares, but I just lean back in my chair and return it with one of my own. "What's your problem, Mal?"

"My daughter's here now, but she's so set on getting revenge that I can't seem to talk some sense into her. Sure, after what Snow White and her idiot husband did to Lily, I can't blame her for wanting to murder them, but that would only darken my daughter's heart further. Plus, she wants nothing to do with me since I'm tired of seeking revenge."

"How 'bout you hand her over to her dad and let him deal with her?"

"I can't, I don't know who her father is." At my incredulous look, Maleficent throws her hands up in the air. "It was in my dragon form at a dragon event that humans won't understand!"

"Oh, we understand them, we call them orgies. So big deal, Lily was conceived at Dragon Woodstock and now she wants to murder the do-gooders before braiding your hair. Find her a way to work out the anger, maybe a dart board with pictures of David and Snow's faces on it."

"You really aren't any help."

"I also don't have a crazed daughter to raise, so I don't know why you came to me for advice, sweetie."

"You're right, but I happen to know two people that feel nearly the same way I do." With a smile, Mal leaves just as quickly as she showed up, slamming my door shut behind her and leaving me and my two jailers to stare at the spot she'd just been pacing in front of.

"So, are we gonna continue Death Note or what," Whale asks after a moment.

A few hours later, Dad walks into the apartment with an armful of snacks and sodas, an apology on his lips," Sorry that I'm so late, Vee, I had to stop at the store to get the things we decided on yesterday and Snow got herself knocked out by a..." He trails off for a moment when he sees the other occupants of my apartment—Nicky, Mozenrath, Whale, Pan, Mal, and Lily. "Dragon. That one sitting by the big dragon's feet, to be exact. What it this? The wayward home for evil wannabes?"

"You're here, aren't you," Pan remarks, wincing when Dad pushes him off the couch and takes his spot on my left.

"Can we start the movie now," I ask with a grin.

"What is it? You never told us."

"The Black Cauldron." And then the phones started buzzing with text messages, groans coming from most of the people in the room.  **Meet at Sorcerer's mansion. We need backup. -David** "Son of a bitch, every time! I don't care, we're bringin' the snacks and Micah and poof us there with his magical mumbo jumbo."


	81. Chapter 81

"When I said that we needed backup, I didn't think you'd bring everyone you have movie nights with," David quips with a small smile.

"Not in a humerus mood, farm boy, you interrupted my movie night and you should be afraid."

"Mo, I taught you your favorite fighting stances, I think I'll be fine."

"I have a glass jar of cheese dip, do you really wanna mess with me?" David's smile diminishes slightly as I walk past him into the secret room, my merry band of geeks trailing in after me with some kind of food or drink in their hands. And then I felt it, that weird feeling tugging in my chest, and the last time I felt that was right before Papa sacrificed himself to the Alp.  _God, no, please_! I tighten my grip on the bag of Doritos, giving Micah a wide-eyed stare. The Necromancer gives a small nod of understanding, breaking away from the others to walk over to me. "Papa," I whisper to him.

"Yes, ma'am," he returns just as quietly, poofing me to Papa's shop with the faintest of movements from his hand. When the indigo smoke of his magic clears, I find Papa sitting on the floor with his back against a display case, looking up at me and barely managing to keep his head up. Isaac is behind another display case a few feet away, his quill and bottle of ink in front of him, along with a book similar to the ones back in the Sorcerer's mansion.

"Aveena," Isaac says after he gets over the fact that I just popped up out of thin air," what are you...?" I ignore the Author and drop to my knees next to Papa, helping to keep him sitting upright as his strength fails a little more. "Why do you have cheese dip and chips?"

"Because," I grunt, nearly falling when Papa collapses on me for a minute before I right him again. "Food solves a lot of problems. Get back to your writing, or whatever it is you were doing."

"M-make sure," Papa gasps, his voice unsteady as he deals with the pain of his heart blackening," make sure my daughter is taken care of. I don't care if I'm a hero in the world you are creating, if she's mistreated, I will find a way to kill you no matter the consequences." Isaac's mouth twitches in displeasure, scribbling away in his new book with his quill. Papa squeezes one of my hands, resting his head on my shoulder as he catches his breath.

"One more thing," Isaac says after a quiet moment," your son—Baelfire, would you like me to make the both of you forget him?"

"No," Papa and I snap at the same time, neither one of us wanting to forget the last good memories we have of Neal.

"No," Papa repeats in a softer tone," I want my memories of him. But maybe with a... Slight adjustment? I would like a world where I remember doing right by my boy. Where he might be gone, but I can live with that loss. Where Bae sees me as a hero right at the end." I rest my cheek against the top of Papa's head, feeling the tears stinging my eyes. "And my girl here, I want her to live happily even if that may not be with me. I want her to have all the things I was never able to give her and I want her to retain her magic, so I know she's safe."

"I can do that," Isaac assures him with a kind smile. "And with that last piece, it's time to finish." I close my eyes, holding tighter to Papa as I feel the pulse of unfamiliar magic hit me. "The end." Bright flashes of light and the ground rumbling beneath me has me squeezing my eyes shut, my fear of earthquakes rising to the surface and making me shake and whimper in Papa's arms. At least I'm with him when all of this is happening this time, and I'm not being forced to watch him die. He'll be better in this new world, Regina will finally have her happy ending, and I bet Henry'll learn how to use a sword. Oh shit, will Henry come to the new world? I can't leave my nephew here with no one to look after him!

 **Enchanted Forest** — **Alternate Universe**

I wake slowly, memories spiraling through my head of a sickly old man before they disappear entirely and my real memories fall back into place. "Why am I on the floor," I mumble to myself, slowly sitting up and looking around my bedroom in one of the towers. It's not until I'm standing that I realize I'm holding a strange glass object tightly in my hand. The label stuck to the front of it is done up in garish shades of oranges and yellows, proclaiming the substance inside to be cheese dip, though I have no clue what that's meant to be or why I'm holding it. "I know I did not drink that much last night." I set the container down warily on one of the tables in my sitting room, backing away from it. One of the servants can take care of it when they clean the rest of my chambers. With a resolute nod, I use my magic to don my gown for the day—made up mostly of white cloth with a crimson bodice and gold detailing.

After brushing the tangles out of my hair, I leave my chambers and start down to breakfast, having to stop every so often when a flash of false memory would race through my mind, memories surrounding a vastly different Snow White than I'm used to dealing with. I clutch at my head, squeezing my eyes shut as I lean heavily against the cold stone of the wall until the memory passes. "Are you well today, Aveena," the fake James questions, not looking much like he cared, more concerned with his wife growing angrier than usual.

"Is my well-being such a high concern for you, David?" It was a teasing remark, one David takes in stride with a tiny hint of a smile.

"If her favorite pet is unwell, then Her Majesty would be upset."

"Too true. Shall we join our mistress or do you think she'd like us better out here in the hall?" David's smile widens a fraction as he offers me his arm before leading the way into the dining hall where Snow White sat at the head of the table. She isn't happy today, but she hasn't been since Prince James was killed.

"Why are you smiling," she demands, a goblet of wine in one of her hands.

"We're simply excited to bask in your magnificence, Highness." My sarcasm was obvious and the Queen's scowl deepens, taking another sip of her wine as David and I seat ourselves—across from each other, but two chairs down from the Queen. A serving maid sets a plate of food down in front of me, the sight of it alone enough to make me feel ill for some strange reason. I always have an appetite around this time, so why wouldn't I today? Mayhaps I'm coming down with something—I'll go to the physician later today. "May I be excused, I'm not feeling well."

"Are you going to see those men again, the serving boy and the pirate?"

"I am."

"Then you don't have my permission." The smile I give her as I stand up is cold and I can see trace amounts of fear in her eyes.

"I don't recall asking your permission."

"I am the ruler of this kingdom and I forbid you to leave the palace grounds."

"If you don't let me leave this place without a fight, then I will give your royal ass a kick so hard that you won't be able to sit right for a week." I play off the strange threat, a mask of hard anger on my face while I wonder where those words had come from. "Now, excuse me." I bob a quick curtsy, my clothing changing in the quick motion—now a simple pair of black breeches, boots, a white shirt, a brown corset that went over the top and was easy to remove without assistance, and a black coat with intricate red detailing around the collar, back, and shoulders. Snow's unoccupied hand grips the carved armrest of her chair tightly, her knuckles white with rage. I send a conniving grin at David before my magic swirls around me and transports me to the docks. The seaside village is busy today, several ships making port to trade the treasures brought back from other lands.

I move expertly through the crowd of people, none of them stopping to notice a woman in pirate's clothes—had I come in my earlier clothing, they would have realized I was the Queen's sorceress and murdered me in cold blood. "Vee," a familiar, accented, voice calls out. I turn, finding the pirate that called to me from aboard the  _Jolly Roger_.

"Killy," I grin, making sure not to go aboard the ship since its Captain was away. "When did you lot get in?"

"Last night, we made it just before the storms hit."

"Lucky timing." Killian Jones grins shyly, scratching the back of his head. "I've got to go, but I'll come and see you before I leave for... Well, you know where." He gives me a nod and another smile, going back to his duties aboard the famous vessel. Blackbeard kept a tidy ship and had earned the feared respect of many other pirates, but I have a feeling that Killian would be even better at the job without the need of fear.

"Aunt Mo!" I'm tackled a few feet away from the tavern door by a skinny brown-haired boy. "I've missed you!"

"Can't... Breathe," I gasp out, the boy having knocked the air out of me when we hit the hard ground. He pulls back sheepishly, helping me stand up and brushing the dirt and filth off my clothes. "Do I know you, squirt?" His joyous expression falls, as though he'd been expecting something big and wonderful to happen. and instead got stuck with me. It's strange though, Mo seems like a nickname I should be familiar with.

"Yeah, I'm your nephew and we're trapped in a book right now, but I know I can get you to remember somehow." I stare at him for a second, giving a little nod, and taking a step back. "I'm not crazy, I swear! I can prove it."

"Okay... Um, prove away, random child."

"What do you think of when you hear the word 'inconceivable'?"

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means," I answer automatically, pausing afterwards with a furrowed brow. "Where did that come from?"

" _Riffraff, street rat, I don't buy that_..."

" _If only they'd look closer. Would they see a poor boy? No sirree, they'd find out there's so much more to me_." I pause again, the instant, instinctual response making me question my sanity. "Okay, I'm going to take a chance and believe you, but only because I've been feeling really strange today and following a little boy around is the most normal thing I've done all day." He grins up at me, the type of grin that was contagious and had me grinning back and ruffling his hair. "So, do you have a name or should I continue calling you squirt?"

"Henry, but I'll make an exception for you, Aunt Mo."

"Well, how about I buy you something to eat." I give his stomach a poke, giggling a little at his smile. "I could introduce you to my fiance."

"Who's your fiance?" He looks genuinely interested, stuffing his hands into the pockets of the strange black coat he has on. Now that I study him closer, I can pick out a few quirks and features that we share, though he looks like the ghost of my best friend from childhood. Baelfire died in the Ogre Wars a little before Snow White took me from the orphanage to learn my abilities, but perhaps he has been reborn again as this child?

"Peter Pan."


	82. Chapter 82

After explaining that I didn't know anyone by the name of Whale and that I've known Peter most of my life, Henry seemed to calm down a bit, but he was still on edge around my fiance. Peter didn't much like him either, uncomfortable with the fact that a random kid off the street attached himself to my side and seemed insistent on keeping Peter from touching me whenever possible. As it is, I mentioned my pirate best friend and now Henry is pulling me through the throngs of villagers towards Blackbeard's ship with Peter running after us. he doesn't trust the pirates not to use me for their nefarious needs, but I'd showed the pirates just how powerful I am a few years ago, so now they're too scared to try anything. "Ahoy," Henry calls out, walking across the gangplank to get on the ship. Peter and I hang back for a second before following after Henry. Blackbeard isn't going to be happy about this. "Is anyone here?!"

"Careful, boy," Killian warns, coming around from the stern of the ship where he'd been on his hands and knees scrubbing. "No one steps aboard the  _Jolly Roger's_  deck without an invitation from it's Captain first." Henry appears undaunted and even a little excited, walking up the short flight of steps that lead up to the upper deck where the wheel is.

"Are you gonna make me walk the plank?" Peter and I share a nervous look, wondering why the boy seemed so at ease around a pirate he didn't know. Killian looks at me over Henry's head before turning his stunningly blue eyes back to the boy.

"That depends on why you're here."

"I need a ship to take me to the Bottomless Sea."

"Excuse me," I interrupt loudly, taking a couple of steps closer to the pair. "There's no way you're going to convince the Captain to take you there. It's too dangerous for a boy your age. Why would you want to go there anyway?"

"That's where my mom is." Henry hands a map over to Killian, the paper looking nothing like the kind we have around here; it's obviously not parchment, not even the cheap kind, this is something else all together. "Her name's Emma and she was put there by the Queen." I remember her now, she was an upstart that tried to convince people that everything was upside down.

"Well, then, I'm sorry for you," Killian tells Henry sadly," even if I wanted to, I can't help you." I let out a small gasp when I spot Blackbeard making his way through the village toward the ship, moving closer to Peter in order to stay out of the pirate's reach. I may be stronger than him because of my magic, but that doesn't make the pirate any less terrifying. Killian and Henry don't notice as he boards the ship, standing a few feet away and watching the exchange with interest.

"Why? You're a Captain. Can't you take your ship wherever you want?" Blackbeard laughs at that, the scornful sound making Killian duck his head in embarrassment.

"A Captain," Blackbeard questions in amusement," is that who he says he is?" He grows serious when his eyes land on Killian. "I thought I told you to be done swabbing the decks when I return."

"I'm sorry, Captain Blackbeard," Killy apologizes quickly.

"Wait," Henry says in befuddlement,"  _he's_ the Captain?"

"Indeed," Blackbeard concurs. "Unless deckhand Hook wants to keep playing pretend to impress the lass here, though I'm fairly certain she's one of his bastards." Killian doesn't say anything, knowing he was in deep trouble because of what Henry had voiced and I keep my mouth closed for fear of bringing hell down on my friend's head. "What do you say, Hook? Beat me and the  _Jolly Roger_  is yours." Blackbeard draws his sword, the metal glinting in the sunlight. "Or are you still a one-handed coward?" Killian wastes no time in grabbing the brush, ready to go back to his cleaning when Henry gets in his way.

"What are you doing," the boy demands," stand up to him! You  _can_ beat him."

"I'm afraid you don't know me very well," Killian confesses," I'm sorry, I can't help you."

"I may not know you, but I do know my aunt." There was a sheathed sword hanging on the railing of the upper deck, and Henry took it inexpertly in hand and tossed it down to me. The strangest thing of all is how natural the sword felt in my hand, how easy it was to disarm a pirate well-known for his fighting prowess and knock him unconscious with the hilt. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"I have no idea," I mumble in shock, staring down at the magnificently crafted sword. This doesn't belong to a simple pirate like Blackbeard, this is something like a famous knight might wield—with it's gold and ruby hilt and wickedly sharp blade, I felt like a hero standing here, and there was an undercurrent of magic humming through it that made the sword fit perfectly in my hand. "So, I feel like getting as far away from Blackbeard as possible right now. Anyone else in favor of leaving him in the village and going to rescue the boy's mother?" All but Killian raise their hands, the deckhand looking unsure and anxious.

"I can't sail this thing on my own," he states.

"I'll help you," Henry grins.

"And how do you know how to sail a ship?"

"I had a great teacher—you."

* * *

I was below deck when Henry came running down the steps excitedly for some rope and a sack. "We're almost there," he informs Peter and me," we're going to trick the guard into thinking that I'm a prisoner."

"Then I'd better come along," I sigh, standing up and stretching," everyone knows that I usually accompany the prisoner exchanges to make sure things go smoothly. Peter, put on the nicest thing you can find, so you can pose as my escort." Peter nods, moving through the clothes in Blackbeard's wardrobe until he finds a nice enough disguise that wouldn't automatically make people think of him as a tavern boy. We follow Henry back up the stairs, watching as Killian ties the rope around the boy's writs in a way that would be easy for Henry to escape, but look as though they were too tight for him to move his wrists. I slide the sack over his head before Killian and Pan drop anchor, assisting in helping Henry down the gangplank and over to the tower. The Black Knight is in the hallway, their hand moving to the hilt of their sword. The uniform made it impossible to tell if the guard was a man or woman, the helm and black chain mail hanging from it covering their face.

"We're here on official business for the Queen," Killian states in a confidant tone I've never heard him use before. "Delivering a dangerous prisoner from the kingdom of Kashyyyk." The guard pulls the sack off Henry's head, looking the boy over, but unable to back away in time when Henry knocks the person out using the hilt of Killian's sword. Henry wiggles his hands to undo the loose not, shaking off the ropes. "Well done, lad."

"The Wookiee prisoner gag," Henry smiles," it always works."

"It's not wise to upset a Wookiee," I say right afterwards. "Wait, what? Squirt, why do I keep saying random things today?"

"Because, not even some weirdo spell can make you any less of a geek." Henry pats my shoulder comfortingly, passing Killian the keys. "Lock the guard in a cell, I'll be back with my mom as soon as I can." I turn to look at Killian and Peter, opening and closing my mouth a few times before any words actually come out.

"What's a geek supposed to be?"

"Who knows," Peter shrugs," that boy's rather strange. Let's lock the guard up before it wakes up and we regret not doing it sooner." Killian takes the guard's arms while Peter and I take its legs and, between the three of us, we manage to tuck it away in a corner cell and lock the barred door behind us. "Do you think what the boy says is true?"

"I don't know," Killian shrugs, scratching the back of his head," but if it is, I truly feel bad for our counterparts." I nod in agreement, following after Killian as he leads the way back to where we're supposed to meet Henry, only for him to run into a pretty blonde woman most of the way back.

"Uh, Killian," Henry says, appearing a second later," this is my mom. Mom, Killian." Emma smiles up at Killian in relief, another emotion in her eyes that makes me confused. It's obvious to everyone the depth of feelings she has for my friend, but why would she feel anything for him since she's only just met him? Killian stares down at the blonde in astonishment, seeming lost for a moment when he looks into her eyes.

"Yeah. Pleasure." After an awkward chuckle, he holds out his hand for the woman to shake. I've never seen him this flustered before, it is kind of funny to watch it.  _And I know the scariest part is letting go, cause love is a ghost you can't control. I promise you the truth can't hurt us now, so let the words slip out of your mouth_. The strange lyrics seemed to pop into my head out of nowhere, but they also seemed to fit so well with Killian and Emma for some reason.

"Yeah, right. Look we need to... Get going." The love didn't leave Emma's gaze, but it did dim a little when she realized that it wasn't just her, Killian, and Henry in the room. "We've got a wedding to stop." Peter and I share another look as the blonde takes off to the entrance, trying to follow everyone else as quickly as we can, though Peter trips occasionally on the long ends of Blackbeard's pants.

Back on the ship, I stand with Peter near the bow. I watch him as he leans on the railing of the ship, his back to me as he looks down at the blue waters of the sea. "What's bothering you," I ask, joining him and resting my lower back against the railing.

"If what the boy says really is true, then I'm a monster," he tells me softly, his green eyes not leaving the sea. "I don't deserve to be with you in that other world."

"We're not in that other word." I gently pull him away from the side until he's standing in front of me with his face cupped in my hands. "We're here and that is what matters, Peter. I love you." He closes his eyes and leans further into my hand, murmuring that he loves me too, but he still looks ashamed of the things Henry and Emma said this other Peter has done. "Hey." He looks up at me slowly, reluctant to meet my gaze. "I love you to the stars and back, and that's all that matters. You're my sun and stars."

"And you're the moon of my life." Suddenly the tower, a few miles behind us, erupts in an explosion of stone as a large dragons bursts forth. The sudden noise makes me jump, and I would have toppled backwards if Peter hadn't grabbed me and threw us both to the deck.

"Henry, Morgan," Emma calls," get below now!" Peter pushes me gently ahead of him, both of us crawling to the hatch that leads below deck, Henry already climbing down ahead of us. I completely forgot about the power that the knight guarding this tower had, the ability to turn into a dragon so rare that I easily forgot it was possible. Peter holds me tightly to him, both of us shaking in fear of what might be happening above our heads. Out of some instinct, I reach out and grab ahold of Henry's arm, some part of me wanting to make sure he's safe over everyone else.

"It's alright, my darling, I have you and I'll never let you go."

 **Later That Day** — **Seaside Village**

I laugh as Peter tugs me along by my hand through the village, the man nearly dancing since we survived the dragon. "Wait," I hear David shout as we return to the spot where we left Killian and Emma to practice their fighting. Henry had stopped a few feet back, but Peter and I never noticed until it was too late. "There's the boy and our traitor." I tense, my anxiousness making my magic uncooperative and so I'll be useless in any kind of fight against these two. Snow gives me a sardonic smile.

"My, my," she says gleefully," I  _am_ going to enjoy watching the boy die in front of his mother, though I have to admit that I'll miss my slave's sense of humor."

"Run," I whisper to Peter," make sure everything that needs to be done gets taken care of." Peter opens his mouth to protest, but I shake my head. "I love you, Peter, but I need you to make sure Squirt is okay at all times." I don't bother to brush away the tears that fall, shoving Peter back towards Henry in the same instant that Killian does. I draw the stolen sword of mine, twirling it a few times and surprising myself yet again. "You can't drop part of your arm, you can't drop part of your arm..." Killian kicks the wooden support of a nearby stand, the heavy sacks of flour falling down on top of two knights and evening the odds, leaving the pair of us with only David and Snow to fight.

"Is she worth your life, pirate," David questions, referring to Emma.

"I'm willing to find out," Killian affirms in a shaky voice.

"Are you scared to fight me, Snow," I taunt, my old mask of confidence and hatred falling into place as I step around the dueling pirate and prince. "Afraid that you'll lose to someone younger than you?"

"Not at all," she smiles," this is going to be so much fun." I raise the sword expertly, the perfect balance of it making everything seem so much easier.  _Excalibur_ , a small voice in my head whispers _, the sword a great leader_. Snow calls on her magic to change places, appearing behind me seconds before I spin. Even without my own magic working, I can still sense everything she does with her own, but it doesn't help me in the end. Just as I faced her again, she drove her hand into my chest and yanked out my heart, giving it a painful squeeze until I drop to my knees in front of her. Clutching at my chest with one hand and using the other to support me, I look past Snow at my fiance.

"Run!" And then the pain became too much, sending me into spasms as my breathing slowed and eventually stopped completely.

 **Storybrooke** — **Normal Universe**

I let out a gasp, shooting up from where I was lying on the shop floor, my hand moving to my chest to feel the steady rhythm of my heartbeat. "I'm not dead," I gasp with a tearful smile. "Jesus, that was trippy." Whale bursts inside, his coat half off one of his shoulders as he kneels on the floor beside me and pulls me into his arms—Papa and Isaac slowly sitting up. I watch Isaac in confusion for a second as he grabs Papa's car keys and tries to run out, but I tackle him before he reaches the door, wanting some answers for the bizarro story line he'd wrote for me. "Why did you put me back with Pan," I ask in confusion, sitting on Isaac's legs so he doesn't get away. Isaac looks as confused as I do, his brows scrunched together as he shakes his head. "I'm dating Victor in his world, but you already knew that."

"Pan's your true love," Isaac says, his tone suggesting I should already know that. "Just like Belle is Rumple's true love and Snow White is David's. I was about to write your happy ending when the Alp dug its hooks into Pan and turned him into a villain before I had the chance to intercede."

"No, we get to pick our true loves, they're not chosen for us."

"What are you saying," Victor asks, holding me closer to him in an unconscious show of protection that allowed Isaac to wiggle free.

"That the only person Morgan will end up with in the long run is Pan," Isaac states as he gets back to his feet," they were literally made for each other, and balance each other out. It was decided by someone higher up than me in the grand scheme of things. Sorry." With a shrug, Isaac was running out as Papa manages to get to his knees.

"Papa," I shout, stumbling over to him and catching him right before he collapsed. "No, I've lost you once and that shit isn't happening to me again! You're not leaving me alone with these people." I look up at Victor desperately. "Go and get the Apprentice! Now!" Victor nods, hurriedly scrambling to his feet and sprinting out of the shop as I hold Papa's failing body closer to me, my arms the only thing supporting him at this point. "You can do this, Papa, you can beat this."

"M-my heart," he gasps in pain. "I don't want to hurt you, Morgan. I never have and yet it seems that it's all I do. Because of me, you're suffering with depression, you never got the chance to know you're birth father, and I put so much pressure on you to succeed in school that you had several nervous breakdowns. I can't let you die at my hands, I can't do it. I love you so much, Morgan, more than you'll ever realize. You're my baby girl and I'm afraid that you'll be one of the first few people that the Dark One decides to kill. Take Whale and those two men from the theater... And run as fast and far as you can. I won't be able to hurt you outside of Storybrooke."

"No, I'm not leaving you." I can feel my magic responding to my emotions, making my fingertips tingle. "I can help you, Papa. Let me try."

"No, you'll only hurt yourself."

"I don't care about myself! I haven't for a long time, there are more important people in this town than me." Papa stares at me in shock, one of his hands moving to hold onto my arm and squeezing it.

"No... No, you're the most important person in this town to me and to Jones. If anything happened to you, I don't know what I'd do."

"Well... I guess it's time to find out." I lay him on the ground gently, stuffing my jacket under his head to work as a pillow before pulling his heart from his chest as gently as I can. It's a cold and hard thing, small with hardly any red showing, the complete opposite of my own. "Come on," I whisper, urging my magic to work with me. "Come on, come on." By the time the haze of my magic has wrapped around the heart, my hands were beginning to shake and a dizzy spell hit me hard. I don't give up, continuing to focus all I have into healing the organ. Slowly, the black of the heart begins to give way for more red, returning to its original state. It's enough for me to hand it back to Papa, using the nearest display case to pull myself to my feet. "I did it," I mumble as Pan and the others burst into the shop. "Pan."

**Pan**

He barely managed to catch Morgan as she collapsed, holding her like a man would his bride and gently lowering her to the floor. "She used too much of her strength," Rumple groans, holding his heart in his hand. "She said she didn't care about her own life." There were tears on the old man's face, and Pan could feel some stinging his own eyes as he stares down at the infuriating woman whose head rested in his lap. He closes his eyes, drowning everything else out as he focuses on bringing Morgan back from the edge of death. He'd seen her die once today and he wasn't going to go through it again, God damn it!

"I've got you," he murmurs, his fingers resting against her temples. "You're not allowed to die twice in one day, my darling." He can feel Mozenrath's magic joining in as the other man kneels beside Morgan's limp body, Mozenrath's pale hands looking strange in contrast to Morgan's lightly tanned arms. He can feel other magic at work, hear grunts of pain as the Dark One is forced to leave Rumple's body and enter the hat, but Pan stays focused on the task at hand. He didn't care if Rumple lived or died at this point, but he'd be damned if he let Morgan die when he could have saved her. She's pushed herself too far this time, and it would take a lot to bring her back. A loud shrieking sound broke his concentration, and he raised his head in time to watch as thick, inky strands of dark magic shot out of the hat and slashed through the air surrounding the Apprentice. Pan holds Morgan closer to him, shifting her body so that it was cradled in his arms as the darkness entered the Apprentice's mouth and turned his eyes a pitch black color.

Emma acts fast, both her and Aladdin shooting their light magic at the Apprentice until the man collapses on the floor and the darkness is forced out, Aladdin using his magic after that to shield Mozenrath. It wasn't much, certainly not as powerful as anyone else's magic, but Aladdin's was just enough to ensure Mozenrath was safe from being possessed. "Mom, Dad," Emma commands after the darkness shoots out of the mail slot," go after it! I'll be right there!" Pan focuses back on his task, his hand pressed over Morgan's chest to feel the beat of her heart, unsteady and fading fast.

"It'll be okay," Mozenrath tells Morgan despite the fact that she can't hear him," we're going to save you, Mo. And when we bring you back, I'm going to make you be the lead in the stupidest play I can think of just to punish you." A loud ruckus outside the shop was threatening Pan's concentration, but he forced it to the back of his mind and rested his forehead against Morgan's.

"You're the only person in this town that saw any light in me," he confesses, too quiet for any but Morgan to hear," and I never thanked you enough for helping me keep my darkness contained all those months. I never realized just how important you were until you kicked me out of town and the darkness nearly took me over again. I can't blame the Alp for everything, killing the tribe on Neverland was all my idea and the Alp just gave me the confidence to go through with it. I'm back now, Morgan, and I'm not letting anything come between us again. I love you too much to let you die, the way I acted in that other reality wasn't fiction, it's how I really felt about you, but this darkness made me unable to show it. You're the love of my life, Morgan, and I refuse to let you die without truly knowing it!" The noise outside grows to an unbearable level, making Pan wince until it stopped all of a sudden.

Morgan lets out an almost inaudible moan as her eyes flicker open, the sight of her awake enough to have Pan relaxing for the first time since he woke up. The peace and relief was shattered when Victor Frankenstein opens the shop door, looking upset and in a state of shock. "What is it, Whale?"

"It's Emma," Whale croaks," she's the new Dark One."

**Woo, the end of this story for now and I managed to squeeze in a quote from The Mummy and a couple of cutesy nicknames from Game of Thrones, so I am one happy girl. To clear something up in case it confuses any of you, Morgan healed Rumple's heart from all the evil deeds he did while alive, so all the Apprentice had to do was play the part of Dark One exterminator.**


	83. Season Five: All That is Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, a chapter dedicated to Moze and Al since I'm still working on the chapter for S5. Original novels are a pain in the ass to come up with, but I'm on chapter four, so wish me luck! =)

**Mozenrath** — **Past**

"Does it look like I have time to track your daughter," Mozenrath scowls at the pirate, his chin supported on his fist. His back was aching from occupying his throne, the Street Rat still had Mozenrath's Gauntlet locked away in Agrabah, and now this pirate broke into the citadel to demand help searching for his brat. "And even if I did have time, why would I want to help the man that broke my Mamluks?" His minions weren't fragile, but it seemed that nearly all of his enemies were able to dismember the creatures easily. But still, Mozenrath loved the desperation written all over the pirate's face, so he would allow him to grovel and maybe they would come to a deal.

"Please, my lord, I would do anything."

"Anything?" Mozenrath raises a brow at that, his lips twitching as he fights back a smirk. The pirate realized his word choice and furrowed his brow slightly before straightening up with a hardened look. He really would do whatever Mozenrath asked in exchange for help. He must love the brat more than Mozenrath's father had loved him.

"Anything within reason." Mozenrath nods, standing up and circling the pirate a few times at a languid pace. He wanted to enjoy this, to watch another man squirm since Mozenrath rarely got that opportunity. Aladdin didn't seem to fear anything, so Mozenrath never got the satisfaction of seeing fear in the Street Rat's chocolate brown eyes. "Please, I can't have my daughter abused by the Dark One." The name causes Mozenrath to flinch involuntarily, memories of the fortnight spent in Rumpelstiltskin's castle coming back in vivid detail. Rumple was worse than Destane, he played games with your head and seemed to anticipate every move you would make. That also sealed the deal, though Mozenrath would still need his Gauntlet if he was going to get anything productive done.

"Very well, Jones, I'll help you if you will help me." Mozenrath stops in front of the pirate, hating the fact that the man was taller than him. "You help me get my main power source out of the treasure vault in Agrabah, and I'll help you get your precious daughter back."

"And how do you expect me to break into a palace with real guards?"

"A wedding will be taking place there in three days' time, we'll sneak inside while the guards are distracted."

* * *

Aladdin's stomach was twisting harshly as he stood away from all the guests of the wedding, wringing his hat nervously in his hands as people continued to walk inside. He wasn't sure if it was from his nerves or not, but he felt like something bad was about to happen and nothing would be the same afterwards. Swallowing hard, he slowly moves to where his friends were standing, trying not to gain anymore unwanted attention from the nobles that had assembled for the wedding. Genie and Carpet were in the middle of a Monopoly game, the board floating in the air as Genie nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey, guys," he asks quietly, voice barely heard above the buzzing of people. Abu heard him though, and the little monkey climbed up on his shoulder to offer some of the old comfort. "Does anyone else feel a little weird about all of this?"

"About what," Iago asks, admiring his reflection in a solid gold serving platter," you're gettin' some great stuff!" Aladdin rolls his eyes, knowing half of the gifts would end up in the bird's room by the end of the day. When the parrot finally glanced at Aladdin, his eyes gained a sympathetic light. "You look really bent out of shape. Maybe you should get yourself a drink to relax."

"Cold feet, kid," Genie asks, the game disappearing in a puff of smoke that was the same pale blue as the Djinn.

"No, it's not that," Aladdin says for the third time that day. "I just... I have a bad feeling, I guess." Abu chatters softly, wrapping his little arms around Aladdin's neck in a hug. "I think I'm gonna go check on Mozenrath's Gauntlet after the wedding's over." He sets Abu down on the pile of gifts beside Iago and begins to walk again, this time towards the Sultan. Surely the shorter man knew a few tricks to get Aladdin's mind off his worries? While Aladdin was speaking to Jasmine's father, trouble was building up—the Forty Thieves were sneaking through the gates, past the less than intelligent guards, and closer to the palace. Mozenrath and Killian were already inside, Mozenrath using a small portion of his magic to darken his pale skin and lighten the colors of his clothes; Killian didn't have to do much except to remove the kohl around his eyes, straighten his clothing, and allow Mozenrath to put a glamour on the hook to make others see a hand there instead.

"Try not to draw attention to yourself," Mozenrath was saying, his dark eyes moving around them to study the crowd. The palace was full of strangers and the royal family couldn't possibly pick Mozenrath out, but that didn't stop him from being paranoid and taking extra precautions. "The treasure vault should be this way." He had a pretty good idea of where it was located after spending a few days inhabiting the Street Rat's body, but the details were a little fuzzy and he couldn't risk using up his energy on something complicated like a tracking spell. The further away from the banquet hall they got, the quieter their surroundings became, and Mozenrath found himself beginning to sweat from exertion and the sun coming in through the arched windows located every few feet. "It should be around the next corner." He kept his voice low, knowing how noises echoed off the walls and grew louder.

He was just about to round the corner when Killian grabbed a fistful of his shirt and hauled him backwards. Mozenrath had opened his mouth with a list of painful things he could put the pirate through for having the gall to touch him when Killian covered Mozenrath's mouth with his only hand. He could hear it now, pacing footsteps not too far away that signaled a guard had been left inside to ensure the safety of the treasure. Carefully, Mozenrath peeked beyond the corner at the guard pacing in front of the two large doors of the treasury. He was plump and dressed in the white and black colors of a palace guard, a sword was at his waist, and his beady eyes were moving continuously. With a mumbled curse, Mozenrath returns to his original position against the wall. How could he get them past that guard without using up more energy?

"Stay here and try not to get caught," Killian commands. His voice was too low for the guard to hear and his sarcasm seemed to drip from his words. Mozenrath scowls, peeking around the corner again as the pirate began stumbling towards the guard, singing merrily as he feigned drunkenness. "A beautiful afternoon for a wedding," he slurs, stretching his arms out. "Lesh join them, shall we?" The guard stood stock still, obviously conflicted about what to do. He wasn't supposed to leave his post, but he couldn't have a drunk guest wandering around the palace either. After a moment, the guard relaxed his stance and was outstretching a hand to place on Killian's shoulder when a jolt sent all of them to the ground.

"What in the name of Allah was that?" Mozenrath crawls to the nearest window, looking out just in time to see a stampede of elephants rushing inside wildly while guests scrambled to get out. A man that had no skill at planning would only see the chaos and panic, but Mozenrath saw a few people of obviously lower status sneaking inside with weapons drawn and eager smiles. They were here to steal something and Mozenrath wasn't going to take any chances when his Gauntlet was on the line.

"I thought I told you to stay put!" Killian hauled Mozenrath back to his feet before turning and sprinting into the treasure vault. Mozenrath followed as well as he could as the foundation gave another shake, the guard that had been pacing was unconscious just inside the room, a heavy gold vase lying beside him with a smidge of blood on the bottom. "Where is the bloody thing?!" Knowing where they kept it last time, and knowing Aladdin wasn't the cleverest man in the world, Mozenrath moved toward the trunk set apart from most of the treasure.

"Use your hook on this!" Killian crouched beside Mozenrath, bringing his hook back before slamming it hard against the padlock that kept the trunk closed. Hurriedly, Mozenrath opens the lid and snatches the brown glove out of the trunk, its familiar magic humming as the glove began to grow warm. Mozenrath slid the glove on after unwrapping the bandages from all that was left of his right arm. It felt nice to have his Gauntlet back after a month without it, his strength returning at a quick rate as he flexed his fingers. The two unlikely allies made it back to the banquet hall before they had to jump to the side to avoid being trampled by an elephant. His momentary lapse in concentration caused his magic to fade, his skin and clothes returning to their natural state just in time for Aladdin to round the corner.

"Mozenrath," the Street Rat shouted in anger, brown eyes flicking between the Necromancer and the man that had just assaulted him. A scream drew both their attentions to the alter where the Princess had been fighting against a burly man with golden claws covering his hand. She must have been distracted by Mozenrath's name being shouted or she just hadn't been strong enough because the golden claws were now buried in her stomach and she was bleeding out—already dead before the claws were removed from the wound. Aladdin appeared to be frozen, his tanned complexion resembling ash as he stared at the scene in horror. Something about Aladdin's shocked and horrified expression made Mozenrath sad as well, not because the Princess had been murdered, but because he knew exactly how Aladdin felt in that moment.

When he was just nine years old, Destane had murdered Mozenrath's older sister right in front of him and then forced Mozenrath to turn her into a Mamluk to guard the boundaries. Mozenrath fought to keep those horrible memories locked away, but his nightmares focused on the way she looked after her death, the way her dark eyes became dull once the life had left them, how gaunt she looked as one of the undead servants. Shaking and wide-eyed, Mozenrath stared at the Princess's dead body, but saw only Nefertari. She and Jasmine shared a few features and mannerisms, but his sister hadn't been the fighter that the Princess was. "Focus!" Mozenrath only snapped out of his state when Killian gave him a hard shake, coming back to the real world with a shuddering gasp. "We had a deal and I fulfilled my end of it," the pirate snarled at him. Still shaking, Mozenrath held his right hand out, palm up, and allowed a ball of magic to coalesce there—the magic resembling indigo and black flames.

"Press it against something your child owned and it should let you know where she's being held," Mozenrath instructs, gaining back some old confidence. "It might sting a little, but you'll feel no other pain through the process." With a nod of thanks, the pirate wrapped the raw magic in a scrap of cloth from his shirt and ran out while Mozenrath turned to face the men terrorizing Agrabah's high and mighty. Grumbling under his breath, he walked over to Aladdin and backhanded him hard enough to force the gutter rat back into reality. "It's no fun for me if someone else has the honor of tearing your life apart, Street Rat. Let's go kill some thieves!" Aladdin's eyes hardened, not pleased with the idea of teaming up with his enemy, but Mozenrath may be the only one strong enough to help him defeat these people and Aladdin would do this for Jasmine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decide to make an AU of this story. It's called 'The Best Defense' and it's about how things would've been changed had Aveena stayed with our favorite pirate Captain. I'd love you guys even more if you'd go read that one and we even get to see Pan earlier than in Ignorance is Bliss! Also, I'll probably change things like I did with this story, but certain things (Zelena being preggers, for example) probably won't happen since it just seems like a desperate, hurriedly written thing made for drama's sake.
> 
> Preview:
> 
> Killian had expected this task to be an easy one compared to others; in fact, he had hoped to have it completed in less than an hour. Unfortunately for him, things were rarely so simple. He'd followed the merchant from the tavern where the man had drunkenly boasted of the rare gem he'd recently discovered in a land called Egypt. Killian didn't know where that place was, but he did know that the gem was hanging round the man's neck by a chain of brass. Killian lost sight of the merchant when the larger man turned down an alleyway, but Killian only quickened his step when he heard a muffled cry and the sound of a heavy body thudding to the ground.
> 
> As Killian rounded the corner, sword drawn, he found a cloaked figure kneeling over the merchant's unconscious body. "Stand up slowly," he commands. "Pull down the hood of your cloak and face me." At first the person tensed like they were going to run, but they straightened when Killian pressed the point of his sword against the person's lower back. They raised their hands slowly to push the hood back, the chain the gem hung from clasped in their left hand. As the hood falls back, the person's hair (done up in a neat braid) comes out as well. The fact that the thief was a woman made no difference to Killian. "Turn," he commands again." He'd expected feminine features when the woman faced him, but he didn't expect them to be as familiar as his own features.
> 
> The girl looked up at him with wide eyes and a sheepish smile, her expression one that showed she wasn't sorry for what she had done. She was obviously skilled at this sort of thing, her movements showing her grace, and the fact she'd run along the roofs without Killian noticing her hinted at extensive training. Even Killian would have had a hard time keeping up with the merchant without making too much noise on the tiled roofs. But here was this girl, nineteen years of age, and already skilled in thievery. His eyes then fell on the necklace she wore, made up from scrap metals to form a compass front; Killian knew that necklace.
> 
> "Fancy seeing you here, Daddy."


	84. Chapter 84

** Chapter 83 has an actual chapter there now instead of an author's note. It's basically just explaining how Micah/Mozenrath and Nicky/Aladdin began the whole 'falling in love' journey. **

Magic was shifting deep in the forests of Camelot to allow something strange to happen, a blade seeming to grow from the center of a moss-covered boulder that hasn't been moved in thousands of years. The hilt and cross-guard wrought from the finest silver with a large ruby embedded in the top of the hilt; the blade itself was sharper than any other in all realms, it could cut through anything once it was whole.

But it wasn't whole and things seemed to be different now that the sword was back. Time had shifted, moments erased, reality itself altered because of the hole it had torn to get back in its place for its new owner. Even the sword was different to how it had looked before, its old owner would only recognize it by its familiar hum of magic. Once it had been a grand thing, whole, and its hilt was made to look like a dragon.

Now, though, it had a familiar black design near its point, strange designs looking painted on, but unable to be washed away. Its real end was nowhere in sight, broken off during the shift between realms and belonging to another. The true point was fashioned into a dagger with a single name etched into it in black, a name that no one in Camelot could ever know, but all in one small town knew the name intimately.

Emma Swan.

** Storybrooke—Present **

"We are so fucked," I mumble as I struggle into a sitting position on the floor of Papa's shop. "Like seriously fucked, right up the ass-"

"We get it," Whale interrupts, dropping on the ground beside me to begin his examination as a shouting match begins outside. "We're all outta lube when we needed it most, now shut up and let me see if you need to be hospitalized again."

"At this rate you may as well donate a wing in my honor."

"Sure, but only if I can name it the Smartass Teenager wing."

"That right there is why you're only allowed to save people's lives and not work in the publicity department." Whale frowns as he continues his exam, gently feeling my arm for any broken bones before letting out a relieved sigh. "Can I get up now? I feel fine."

"You almost died," Micah exclaims with an incredulous expression.

"Yeah, well, that happens a lot around here, so I try not to look into much." I try to stand only to have Pan, Whale, and Micah all push me back down again. "The promising candidate for my step-mom just became the Dark One and my Papa's passed out somewhere, so I'm pretty sure those guys outside could use a bit of comic relief." Pan forces me to sit down when I try to get up again, giving me a stern look. "You either remove your hand from my shoulder or I break every bone in it."

"You wouldn't dare," he replies.

"Fucking try me, pixie boy!" Clearly uneasy, Pan lets me go and I get up as quick as I can, which isn't very fast considering how weak I am, and then I make for the door with the three men on my heels. The Charmings, Regina, Dad, Henry, Nicky, and Robin are all standing out on the street, Snow and David holding each other and looking as frustrated yet determined as everyone else. "I take it from those expressions that we're about to do something drastic."

"Vee." The relief and love in Dad's tone took me by surprise as he wrapped me up in a tight hug, burying his face in my thick hair. "Thank God you're alright."

"I've certainly been worse." It felt strange not being jerked out of Killian's and into Papa's, and it only served as a reminder that I might never be hugged by Papa again. The tears came now, a steady stream down my face as I clutched tightly to the back of Dad's leather jacket and rested my cheek against his chest.

"It's alright, sweet girl, I have you and you're safe now." It was hard to believe that when everything seemed to be going wrong—Papa was dying, Emma was back in the Enchanted Forest since she's the Dark One, and I already feel like passing out just from walking outside. No matter what we did, I won't be able to help until I have my strength back. "Micah, take my daughter to her home and force her to rest."

"But-"

"No arguments, Aveena, I'll not lose both of my girls in one night because of their stubbornness." The look he sends my way makes it clear that he would knock my ass unconscious if I didn't comply.

"Fine, but you guys are doing anything fun without me."

"You have my word, now go and I'll be by to check on you soon." I nod, letting Nicky pick me up and carry me over to the car he shares with Micah, laying me in the backseat with my head in his lap while Micah takes up position in the driver's seat.

"We're in some deep shit, aren't we?"

"Oh yeah," Nicky agrees," it's up to our waists, Mo."

I look up when the door to my room opens, smiling a little when I find Henry and Daddy standing there and giving me matching grins. "Ohh," I state," those looks mean something illegal and fun, so what are we breaking today?"

"I'm sure you've heard the Wicked Witch is locked up in Whale's hospital," Dad says, trying to appear casual.

"Yeah."

"We're going to break her out in order to get to Emma." I open my mouth to question his sanity since Zelena is the biggest asshole in town—apart from Pan—but he holds up a hand to cut me off. "No questions about it, I just need to know if you'll help or not."

"Can I punch the bitch?"

"She's pregnant, sweetheart."

"So I'll aim for her face, she doesn't need a pretty one of those to give birth." He thought it over for a moment as Henry moves further in my room, holding out a hand to help me up since he knew my mind was already made up. I accept my nephew's help, embarrassed that I can barely stay standing without feeling nauseous. "Wait are you waiting for, Daddy?"

"Don't you want to get dressed first?" I stare down at my jammies, not really wanting to exert the energy to change out of the Grinch top and red and white polka-dot sleeping pants. "You can keep your pumpkin socks on, but you can't walk around town in your pajamas."

"Then turn around." He and Henry leave the room and shut the door behind them as quickly as possible as I slowly make my way over to my closet. "Something simple and warm…." I reluctantly undress before pulling on a bra and fresh panties, and then move over to my actual clothes. I pull on a black sweater with two ghosts on it that says 'you're my boo', a pair of red and black checkered skinny jeans, a white scarf, and a sturdy pair of boots. "Good enough to kidnap the Wicked Bitch." Fighting back dizziness, I walk out into the hallway where the other two were waiting, Dad looking concerned when he notices how pale I’ve become.

“Perhaps I should let you rest some more.”

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Vee?”

“Shut up.” Henry laughs, him and Dad helping me out of the house and behind the wheel of my car. Once they were in and had their seatbelts fastened, I start the engine and smile over my shoulder at Henry. “You ready for your first prison breakout, Squirt?”

“Beyond ready,” he nods.

** Definitely not my favorite chapter, but it works well enough, I guess.  **


	85. Chapter 85

The ride to the hospital didn't take long, just about ten minutes since the traffic wasn't heavy, and I made sure to park in the back to keep my car from being seen. "Alright, y'all have a plan, right?"

"I'm distracting the nurse on duty while you and Killian sneak inside Zelena's cell," Henry explains. I nod with a grin, following the other two into the hospital and down the hall to a door that needs a code to be opened. Henry takes care of that, punching in the code and opening the door for us to walk through.

"Well done, Lad," Dad compliments as we start down the stairs. "How'd you know the code?"

"My mom's good with magic, not so much with passwords. She uses my birthday for everything. You'd think she'd change it after a bank statement or two." I muffle a laugh, knowing well how many times Henry and I had used Regina's card to buy things off Amazon after Papa changed his information.

"So what is the plan exactly? You still haven't told Vee or I anything useful."

"Just trust me, I was taught how to misbehave by the best." Dad's chest puffs out at that, a smug smile settling on his lips. "I was actually talking about Mo." That deflated his ego, but it did wonders to mine. It's my turn to be smug this time and I walk with an extra skip in my step until we reach another door that led to the front desk of the psych ward. "Hang on, I'll get her distracted and then you two sneak inside." After Henry disappeared, Dad frowns down at me.

"That's what you taught him, distraction?" Before I could respond, the nurse on duty exclaims in surprise, shooting out of her seat to show the stain Henry's pop left on her uniform. While Henry began to apologize, Dad and I sneak inside, him grabbing the key to the bitch's room while I lead the way there.

"You see," I tell him smugly," distraction comes in handy from time to time."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbles, unlocking the door and letting me step inside first. Zelena looks nervous upon seeing me, but I just feel happy she's locked away in a padded cell like the Looney Tune that she is.

"What do you want," she asks in disgust," here to kill me again?"

"I want your help with the wand and my daughter wants to punch you in the face." I start forward to do just that, but Dad's hook snags the back of my sweater and holds me back.

"So this is a rogue mission. I like it." She holds up one arm with a smile, the leather cuff wrapped around her wrist a familiar one. It's the one we put on Felix to neutralize his magic, but it didn't work on him.  _Obviously this heifer isn't as strong as she likes everyone to believe._ "Go on, then, take it off."

"I'm gonna need some assurances first—that you're not going to do anything unexpected."

"On my unborn child's life."

"I'm not risking anything because you're swearing not to fuck us over on your baby's life," I remark, struggling to dislodge the hook, but Dad only pulls me farther away from my target. "Let me go!" In one swift move, Dad had my feet swept out from under me and a boot on my chest to keep me from squirming away.  _Now he's just playing dirty_.

"As my daughter said, we'll need something that actually matters," Dad tells the witch, pulling a potion out of his pocket and pouring it over his silver hook. Whatever it is, it smells absolutely foul and I quickly cover my mouth and nose to avoid puking all over his boots.

"What's that," Zelena asks uncertainly.

"This is a potion your sister gave me a long time ago."

"To do what?"

"To rip out a heart."  _Oh, now this is getting good. If he rips out her heart, he would have complete control over Zelena and I could force her to do the Chicken Dance in the middle of town_.

"And why would she give you that?"

"Because she wanted me to take your mother's heart. You can't be surprised your family's troubled. Now, then, this is probably gonna sting." Dad brings his hook down to sink it in Zelena chest, but a green burst of magic sends him flying backwards against one of the padded walls.

"My family may be troubled, dear, but we all know that a heart is a precious thing. I cast a protection spell on mine eons ago." As she approaches my dad and had her back to me, I begin to siphon the magic protecting her heart into me. Sure, it hurt like hell and only served to make me dizzy, but I managed as she grabbed a knife out of the sheath hooked to Dad's pants. Sore and having trouble breathing, I stand and shove my hand into the bitch's back, yanking out her heart before collapsing on the ground. Zelena lets out a strangled choke when I apply some pressure to the organ in my hand.

"Bet you wish I had killed you now," I tell her breathlessly. She glares at me lunging forward to grab the heart right as I push the protection magic back into it, a green burst sending her flying just like it did Dad. "You're going to do what we want you to do now, Zelena." The door to the cell opens as Henry walks in, my nephew giving me a smile.

"I told you that my aunt knew what she was doing," he states arrogantly. "I knew if you couldn't get Zelena's heart, Mo could because she hasn't gone soft."

"Squirt knows me well. Now, what do you say we head on over to Regina's and show her my good work? I might even get a hero cookie for it." Grunting in pain, Dad gets to his feet and picks me up before leading the way out of the cell with Henry and Zelena following behind.

"You can't take her out of her," the nurse shouts as we pass her. I raise my hand to show her the blackened heart, not really caring if the nurse protested or not since I have control over Zelena.

"How the hell did you manage to get her heart when you can't even stand without help," Regina demands, looking as angry as she did that night Henry and I snuck out to go play at the park until two am and then came home with pneumonia.

"Well, it wasn't easy," I answer," I can promise you that much." I hand Regina the heart before leaning back in the chair in her office, feeling like I might get sick any second.

"And you let her!" She points an accusatory finger in Dad's direction. I know that point, it means someone's about to get bent over her knee and get the spanking of a lifetime. "And you drug Henry there with you! Are you insane?"

"At least we did something," Dad yells back at her. "You now have control over Zelena because of my stupidity and Vee's dumb luck, so quit yelling at us and force her to do whatever it is she needs to do to get us to Emma!"

"Why do you guys need the Wicked Bitch," Micah asks, sending a scathing glare at the ginger standing apart from everyone else.

"It has to be cast by someone with dark magic."

"You lot are some brand new kind of stupid, you know that don't you?" Nicky delivers a light slap to his husband's shoulder, but doesn't object. "I have dark magic, I was raised around the stuff." He rolls his eyes and snatches the wand out of Regina's hand and the baby blanket out of Snow's. "How about we get this show on the road?"

"It'll weaken you, Micah," Nicky warns, his warm brown eyes focused on Micah.

"I know," Micah nods," but it'll get Captain Guyliner to quit moping, so I'd say it's worth it." I have to hold back my snort of laughter when Micah says that, but the offended look Dad sends his way makes it impossible. He looks at me next, raising an eyebrow when I just keep laughing.

"What," I ask around a giggle," that's a pretty apt nickname."

"Where are we going to do this and do we have to bring Green Bean along for the ride?"

"Grannies," Regina tells him with a nod," and I'm not letting her out of my sight." He shrugs and starts out of Regina's office, Nicky making sure to pick me up and carry me down the street to Granny's diner.

"How are you feeling, Mo," Nicky asks as we fall to the back of the group.

"Like I got stepped on," I mumble, resting my head against his broad shoulder. He was so warm, like the sun was inside him and made him a human torch. "Do you think he's still dark enough to do this?"

"If I know my husband, and I like to think I do at this point, I know he's never fully going to give up the dark magic." I nod, slowly closing my eyes and just listening to the soft breeze and rustling of leaves. The walk to Grannies doesn't take long and Micah pauses outside the diner to tell the old woman what we're about to do before casting the spell and running inside. Nicky sets me down in one of the booths, using what little magic he has to create a wheelchair for me to ride in.

"Thanks, Nicky."

"No problem, Mo." He ruffles my hair before walking over to Micah, Squirt joining me soon after as I smooth my hair back into place.

"Now I see why you don't like it when I do that to you."

"Twister," Leroy shouts as he and the other Dwarves run inside, the wind outside now howling. Obviously Micah's magic was still dark enough to cause the reaction we needed, though I could have gone without the screaming Dwarves.

"Leroy," Snow shouts in surprise. "It's okay, we summoned it." Now Leroy and the others just look completely annoyed, probably wondering why they even react to this stuff by now.

"You did?"

"It's taking us to Emma."

"Out, Dwarves," Regina commands," adults only."

"No," Leroy says firmly, Happy echoing him in question form. "We're staying." Happy echoes him again. "We've been on the sidelines too long, sister, missed too many adventures. Now it's embarrassing. How do you think it feels when everyone asks you how the adventure was, and you gotta say that no one asked you to go along, that you weren't needed? We're not turning our back on you again, not even in the face of certain death." The door opens again to admit Pan, the teen sending me a questioning look.

"What the hell did you get us wrapped into now," he asks me, hands on his hips.

"He did it," I respond quickly, pointing at Micah. Before Micah could respond to that, Grannies begins to shake roughly, the force of it nearly sending everyone to the ground with a shout. I grab ahold of Henry as we both try to stay in the booth where we were sitting, holding onto each other as everything begins to tumble to the ground. The diner begins to lift off the ground as a cyclone made up of Micah's indigo and onyx magic swirls around us. When the shaking finally stops and the diner is set down again, we're in the middle of a forest.

"Hot damn," Micah grins," I didn't screw it up." He and Nicky share high fives before walking on out the door. All but Granny follow him through the thick woods, Micah following the dark magic that even made me feel sick. "Hook, you wanna take the lead since your girlfriend's right over that ridge?" Dad walks faster in the direction Micah's pointing in, passing me over to Micah to carry while Nicky dragged my wheelchair behind him.

** Dark Castle—Past **

Rumple looks over at his daughter in surprise, still clutching Trista’s heart in his hand as Aveena walks over to him. The little girl’s blue eyes were wide as she stares up at him, one of her tiny hands clutching at his shirt. “Why you got Trista’s heart for,” she asks in her broken English. How could he explain to Aveena that he was going to kill her maid for betraying them both? You just don’t tell a kid her age that, not if you don’t want them psychologically scarred for life and he certainly didn’t need that on his conscious.

“I, uh,” he stutters,” I was just.” He stares from Aveena to the beating heart in his hand, squeezing slightly and causing Trista to let out a sharp gasp. Growing angry, Aveena slaps Rumple’s leg that had his gaze back on her in shock.

“Put it back.” It took all he had not to let out a surprised chuckle, the stern expression on her face and the weak hit to his leg enough to make his day ten times better.

“I’ll put it back if you go take a nap in your room.” She contemplates this for a moment, tapping her chin before giving him a bright smile and running off. If he killed Trista now, Aveena would know it was his fault and probably never speak to him again—or for two days depending on how long it takes for her to forget. Reluctantly, he shoves the heart back into Trista’s chest, grabbing the front of her dress to keep her from running. “You should feel lucky that I’m showing you mercy, but rest assured that I don’t give out those second chances willingly.”

“Yes, Dark One,” Trista gasps, her brown eyes wide.

“You’ll work for me until you can no longer move.”

**Camelot**

"Swan," Dad yells once he reaches Camelot's version of Stonehenge," don't!" Emma had a redhead's heart in her hand, the pressure she had on it obvious since the redhead was doubled over with tears in her eyes.

"What," she asks as we all join her," how?"

"It doesn't matter how. Has anything ever stopped me before?"

"You don't know what's happening." She was close to tears now, loosening her grip on the heart to give the other girl a reprieve. "This is the only way to find Merlin. He's the only one who can stop the darkness. The only way to protect all of you."

"But to stop the darkness, you're going to let it consume you," Regina informs her. Emma looks over at her, the sadness gone from her voice as a steely resolve enters her eyes.

"You don't know that."

"We're not going to take the chance," Snows states, digging around in the diaper bag until she pulls out the dagger that once belonged to my papa. Now, instead of sporting Papa's name, it held Emma's.

"No, wait," Dad pleads," you can't do that. This has to be her choice."

"You don't understand what's at stake," Emma says, sounding more like she was repeating someone else. "If I don't find Merlin, the darkness will destroy all of you."

"Emma, please." Dad moves closer to her, the love in his eyes showing plainly now, even more than before. "No."

"The Dark One destroys everyone near it. Look at Gold. I can't do that to my family. And to you. She has to die." Emma tightens her hold on the heart again, the owner of it letting out a pained groan.

"Listen to your words. It's not you speaking, Emma." Desperate for all of this to be over with, I wiggle out of Nicky's arms and manage to walk over to Emma and Dad by myself.

"You're acting just like Papa," I tell her, trying to snap her out of her daze. "You're being selfish and an asshole, and you're hurting my dad! If you want to find Merlin and make this right, then shove that heart back in the redhead's chest and come with us. Now," I add in a yell when she doesn't obey immediately. Emma shoves the heart into the other woman's chest, her hands beginning to shake as she regains control over herself and flings herself against Dad. I let out a relieved breath and drop to the ground in a sitting position, swallowing hard as my thoughts turn to Papa.

“You brought Granny’s.” I look up at Emma’s voice, straightening up in my wheelchair as the group comes closer to the out-of-place diner. While they had their mushy moment, Nicky, Micah, Pan and I had come back to the diner to see if Granny needed any help. Granny exits the diner, the bell above it jingling merrily.

“Backup generator’s working, but the fryers are shot,” Granny informs everyone.

“And Granny.”

“Terrible news,” Leroy declares as he and the others walk out of the diner next,” no onion rings.” Who cares about his onion rings, I’m more upset that I won’t get curly fries until we get back to Storybrooke, and who knows how long that’ll take? A horse’s whinny and the sound of horses moving closer to us have all of us staring at the woods where the noises were coming from. “What now?” Men dressed in armor and red capes ride into view, stopping a few feet away from where most of the group are standing.

“Who are you and what do you want?”

“I’m King Arthur of Camelot,” the head guy states,” we’ve come to find you.”

“Find us,” Dad repeats as Pan pushes me closer so I can hear everything.

“My lord,” one of the men says in amusement,” they think their arrival is a surprise.”

“Hey,” I smile, pointing up at Arthur,” I know you! We met when I took Excalibur from you and you wasted Papa’s time.”

“A different timeline, I’m afraid,” Arthur smiles, patting the hilt of his sword. Even though the changes to the sword were drastic, the familiar hum of its magic wasn’t something I could forget in a hurry. That was Excalibur and it had torn the timeline in two when it found its way back here. Most things hadn’t been touched, but Arthur wasn’t blonde anymore and he obviously hasn’t had a war with Morgana quite yet.

“Okay, but how did you know where to find us? Last I checked, y’all don’t have a GPS system here yet.”

“It was Merlin, he prophesized your coming here a long time ago, just as he prophesized many things.”

“Merlin,” Emma repeats in an interested tone. ”Where is he? We were told that he’s been missing.”

“For years, yes, but not for much longer because according to his prophecy, you’re destined to reunite him with us. Now, then, if you’ll all follow me.”

“Where?”

“To Mordor,” I remark. “Where do you think? We’re going to friggin’ Camelot.”

The trek to Camelot isn’t as long as I thought it would be, but I spent most of it being pushed along in my wheelchair since my strength was basically nonexistent at this point. The castle Arthur leads us to is grander than it’s ever been described in literature and a fanfare announces our arrival. We barely made it through the gates when I blinked and woke up back inside the diner, surrounded by other confused members of my group. I groan, grabbing onto one of the tables in order to stand and dust off my clothes. Instead of my sweater and pants, I’m dressed in a simple gown of pale green with small pearls sewn around the low neckline of it. Everyone else seemed to be dressed the same as me, the clothing more medieval than I’m used to.

“What are you guys doing here,” Sneezy asks as he and another Dwarf walk inside.

“What happened,” Snow asks in confusion.

“We’re back,” David replies, just as disoriented as his wife. I look out one of the windows, finding the familiar street in Storybrooke that we’d left behind just two hours ago. Not only that, I don’t feel exhausted anymore, I’m back at full power.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Regina states,” we were just walking into Camelot.”

“What the hell are we wearing,” Leroy asks, staring down at the weird clothes he’s dressed in. “Sneezy, what happened? How long were we gone?”

“Six weeks,” he answers. Whatever he’s smoking, maybe I should start too because we haven’t been gone six weeks. That would be impossible unless…. Unless we were cursed to forget our memories again.

“Son of a bitch,” I mumble, leaning against one of the booths,” we should start keeping journals whenever we’re whisked away to another realm because this is getting ridiculous.”

“Where’s Emma,” Dad asks, drawing our attention to the fact that we’re one person short. I turn at the feeling of dark magic, finding a black-gray smoke fading away as Emma appears. Her hair was an unattractive white color pulled back in a migraine-inducing bun and she was dressed in strange black clothing that made Regina’s fairytale garb look tame.

“Relax,” Emma says, making everyone else turn,” I’m right here.”

“Mom,” Henry asks,” what happened to you?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You went to Camelot to get the darkness out of me.” On instinct, I take a few steps back as Emma draws nearer to us. She brushes her long fingers against Snow’s cheek, making the other woman gasp. Emma’s voice is dark, the kind of tone Papa used whenever he grew really angry. “And you failed.” Breaking Emma’s moment of drama, Sneezy did what he’s best at—he sneezed and drew Emma’s gaze. “What the hell are you supposed to be?” Sneezy goes to sneeze again, but Emma turns him into stone with just a flick of her wrist. “There’s no Savior in this town anymore.”

“Emma stop,” Regina pleads softly,” that’s enough.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll do exactly as you asked me to.” She reaches where her pocket would be in the pant suit she was wearing when she left, but there’s no pocket in the red dress she wore now.

“Looking for this?” Emma holds up the dagger, look surer of herself than I’ve ever seen her. “Nobody’s gonna touch this dagger but me.” She moves further into the room and around Regina. “And now, for what you all did to me, you’re about to be punished.”

“Emma,” Dad says to gain her attention. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because…. I am the Dark One.” She disappears in a puff of smoke, leaving all of us behind in the diner to stare at each other in shock.

“We are so screwed,” I declare. 


	86. Chapter 86

**Storybrooke—Present—Micah**

"What do you mean the Dwarves are speeding towards the border," Nicky asks incredulously, looking up from the script set on the table in front of him. He'd been working on revising the  _Oklahoma_  script since they returned from Camelot, but interruptions seemed to happen so often that he doubted he'd ever finish the damn thing.

"I mean just that," Micah returns dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. He may not look it, but he's gotten much stronger since the two of them got together and Nicky forced him to start training. "Those idiots have it in their mind that it might be smart to try crossing the line to escape Emma." Realizing his husband wasn't going to intercept them unless Nicky came with him, Nicky let the pencil in his hand drop to the table and stands up to join Micah in the doorway.

"You owe me, Moze."

"I have no qualms about that." Micah delivers a playful swat to Nicky's butt before poofing them both to the town line where the Dwarves and the so-called heroes were already standing. Honestly, it seemed these heroes cause more harm than good in the grand scheme of things, but who was he to judge since he married one of Agrabah's greatest villains?  _At least Micah doesn't pretend to be someone he's not like these people do_.

"We can't stay in Storybrooke as long as Emma's the Dark One," Leroy was shouting, he and poor Dopey standing just in front of the bright orange line. "Snow Queen, Pan, Trio of Terror—we can handle villains like that, but  _Emma_ , she was one of us. She knows how we beat bad guys, hell, she beat most of them for us. Give me a good way to stand a chance against her or let us do this."

"If you're dumb enough to cross the line, be my guest," Regina replies irritably.

"I really hate to say this," Micah inserts, stepping up to join the group of people while Nicky followed," because the Queen Bee and I have never gotten along, but she's…" Micah grimaces, like he had something foul in his mouth.

"Right," Nicky supplies," that look on his face means Regina's right and Micah agrees. I don't, though, we don't know what will happen if you cross that line and we definitely don't know what will happen if you stay, but at least if you stay, then we'll have more backup." Leroy stared hard at Nicky until Micah took a threatening step forward. Nicky has to fight a smile at the gesture, knowing well that his husband would do everything in his power to keep Nicky safe.

"Do it," Leroy commands, looking over at Dopey again when Micah doesn't back down. With great reluctance, the mute Dwarf steps over the line, magic shimmering around him until he's on the other side. The group hold their breaths as Dopey freezes, then relaxes as he spins to give them a big smile and a thumbs up. "Now, if you'll excuse us." Just as Nicky released his breath, the magic began to swirl around Dopey again. It looked like nature magic, but even Nicky could sense the darkness to it.

Green leaves circled Dopey like a twister, hiding him from sight until they joined together to make up the top of the tree that Dopey has become. "Great job,  _Dwarf_ ," Nicky snarls in a rare show of rage," you just sacrificed the only one of you with common sense."

**Camelot—Past—Morgan**

It was amazing how a crowd of cheering people and a fanfare welcoming you into a kingdom could boost your ego to new heights, but seeing how Pan was looking at me—the kind of look Granny called a 'bedroom gaze' made me shiver in anticipation and anger.  _I bet I could make him sing Soprano for a week and the others would just congratulate me_. Deciding to ignore him, I focus on the stairs that lead up to the castle as Arthur descends them with a smile. While the smile was friendly, his gray-green eyes remained hard.  _Something's about to get real rotten in Denmark, I'm sure of it_. Still, I keep on an easy smile to avoid suspicion as I walk between Micah and Nicky.

"I could get used to this," I murmur to the guys, my hands in the back pocket of my jeans.

"It gets annoying after a while," Micah replies," trust me on that." He didn't look so happy, scowling at the people around him. "Besides, there's no working toilets in this realm." That does the trick of making my happiness dim a little. What was the point of living in a castle if you have to use one of those stupid chamber pots?

"His Royal Highness," the announcer says loudly to be heard," King Arthur."

"And now allow me to introduce the loveliest creature in all of Camelot—my Queen, Guinevere," Arthur introduces proudly, gesturing back to the stairs where a beautiful woman was walking towards us.  _Why did I do in a past life to be surrounded by beautiful women while I'm just average?_  As though sensing my thoughts or taking advantage of Nicky moving to stand on Micah's other side, Pan takes up the spot on my right and rests a hand on my lower back.

"Do you want to lose that hand," I ask under my breath with the smile still in place. "Because if you don't, then you better get it off me." Pan frowns, letting his arm drop back to his side, though I could still feel his fingers brushing against mine. The shock of our magic entwining was still there, meaning that rat of an Author wasn't lying when he said Pan and I were meant to be together. Everyone around us bow to the couple in front of us, but I obstinately remain standing straight. At Arthur's questioning look, I give him a sarcastic smile. "I don't bow." There was a dark flash in Arthur's eyes as he meets my gaze, but I don't bend under his gaze.  _Defying a King should make Papa happy when I get to tell him_.

"We have been awaiting your arrival from the moment we heard Merlin's prophecy," Guinevere says before her husband could do something stupid.

"We hope you haven't been waiting too long," David smiles. I roll my eyes at how stars struck almost everyone seemed to be.  _What's the big deal? Everyone in our group is either royalty or has close ties to someone royal_.

"Only a decade or so," Arthur retorts, though the joking tone had an underlying bitterness to it. "I'll wager it's been worth the wait and as a bonus, it's given us more than enough time to prepare a ball in your honor tonight." Great, now I'll have to dress in one of those damn gowns that weigh more than I do.

"Oh, see," Leroy grins excitedly," told you we should come. Look what we've been missing out on."

"I think I'll just hide out in my room tonight," I sigh, running a hand through my hair.

"Hell no," Micah grumbles," if I have to go, then you have to go. We'll stand where they keep the food table and watch people make fools of themselves."

"Or you both could, I don't know,  _dance_ ," Nicky says with a grin. "Of course, that would be far too tiresome for the pair of you, so I guess I'll find you both the biggest plate they have and you can share it."

"He gets us, Mo, he really gets us." Giggling, I rest my head against Micah's chest as he wraps an arm around my shoulders, loving that I don't have to fake being happy with these two. They make me giggle no matter what's going on.

"We definitely found a keeper," I nod, my arms around Micah's waist and a smile on my lips.

"Your Majesty," Dad says loudly," when are we gonna start our quest to find Merlin?" All of us turn our gazes to Arthur, whose smile was real this time.

"Find him," Arthur asks in amusement. "We don't need to find him. We know exactly where he is. Please, follow me." He leads the way to the other side of the castle where a large Weeping Willow was growing in the center. "Here he is," Arthur states as we stop in front of the tree.

"So, the most powerful sorcerer in all realms is stuck inside a bloody tree?"

"I said the same exact thing the first time I stood there."

"And you think we can get him out," Emma checks, looking completely worn out.

"Oh, we don't think—we know. Merlin's prophecies are never wrong. Why are you so eager to free him?"

"You're not," I ask, turning to look at the King instead of the wizard tree. "What's wrong, Artie? Don't want someone more powerful to come along and unseat you?" Pan rests a hand on my arm, sending a warning look in Arthur's direction when the King tighten his grip of Excalibur's hilt. "Perhaps you could have one of your knights escort me to my room, I'd like to get some rest before the ball tonight." My legs already felt like rubber and the world was beginning to spin around me as my strength continues to slip away.

"Of course, Sir Gawain will take you inside." A tall blonde man in armor steps forward and offer me his arm, but Pan quickly rests my hand in the crook of his arm. The look I give him would have sent most people running for the hills, but Pan doesn't back down this time.

"Are you waiting for something, Sir," he questions, staring intently at Gawain until the larger man shrugs and begins to walk. "I don't trust these people," Pan whispers to me, bending slightly to ensure I heard him.

"No shit," I remark," only stupid people couldn't pick that up."

**Storybrooke—Present**

"Why are we walking around in the forest," Pan asks, stumbling after me as we follow one of the hiking paths.

"Because," I answer, breathing hard," I've got all my energy back and I don't want to listen to the townsfolk gossip about me." I come to a stop when I hear hoses coming close, looking around while Pan rests a hand on my arm. It was instinctual on his part just as it was instinct on mine that had me moving closer to him—we had the need to protect each other that ran deep. "There aren't any riding trails near here."

"I know that, Darling." Riders burst out of the trees and surround us on all sides, a few drawing their swords while others climb down and force Pan and me to kneel in the dirt. "Can I," he asks with raised brows.

"Be my guest." Pan sends out a burst of magic that had our closest attackers flying backwards with twin grunts as the both of us rise again. With a glare, I use my magic to throw the men holding swords against tree to knock them out as Pan uses his to force the supposed leader off his horse to kneel in front of us.  _Turnabout's fair play, after all_. "What the hell is wrong with you," I snarl at the man," attacking random people in the woods is a good way to get your head knocked off your shoulders!" Pan rips the man's helmet off, revealing a handsome man with dark hair and fine features. "Who are you?"

"I am King Arthur," the man snarls back. "How dare you attack me and my men? You should be groveling at my feet." I bend at the waist to smile at him, a smile that promised nothing good—one I've seen on both of my fathers' faces.

"Sorry, sweetie, I don't grovel. Get him up, we'll take him to town and see what David makes of him."

"Do you really want me to do it, or do you want the honors," Pan laughs, gesturing at the kneeling King.

"Mm, it's amazing how well you know me." I raise my hand and use my magic to raise Arthur to his feet. "Come along, boys, we've some introductions to make."


	87. Chapter 87

**Morgan’s nickname for Henry is something my cousin calls her little brother since she has trouble with the name Henry (she’s only four, so we get some cute stuff when we ask her to talk). The song Mo sings is The Words by Christina Perry and she dedicated it to CaptainSwan, so I thought it would fit.**

"What the  _hell_  were you doing alone in the woods with Pan," Dad shouts, throwing his hands up in the air as he paces back and forth in front of me. I shrug, continuing to brush out Papa's hair as I have since we returned from Camelot. The only thing that pointed to him still being alive was the subtle rise and fall of his chest.

"Punishing him," I say softly. "What better way to make him suffer than to offer only friendship when he wants in my pants? I've heard assholes calling it the Friendzone, and Pan's already pretty whiny, but shit happens." I shrug again, not taking my eyes off Papa's still face. "Does my ability come from your side or Milah's?" I can hear Dad stop pacing and then a long exhale that means it's probably a complicated answer. "I have a right to know." Dad sits on the floor with his back leaning against the cot that Papa's sleeping on, his legs stretched out in front of him with one booted foot crossed over the other.

"It's from my side." He uses the tips of his fingers to run over the edge of his hook. "Skips every other generation and no one's been able to explain where it started without falling back on an old myth that one of our ancestors had relations with a dark Fairy." He shakes his head, finally looking up at me with a pained expression with that tic in his jaw that means he's either seething with rage or trying not to break down. "My aunt had it, she thought it was as amazing as you do, but our family wasn't so open-minded about it and she was killed not too long after my tenth birthday. Poison. Before she died, she told me that I would have a child with her gift and that I had to protect the child no matter what it cost me, she made me promise her that I wouldn't let any harm befall you, Vee."

"What was she like?"

"Just like us." He smiles a little, sad yet happy at the same time and I knew he was remembering the woman I never knew. "Her name was Vanessa, but I always called her Auntie Vee because I couldn't pronounce her name when I was learning to talk." I move to sit beside him on the floor, resting my head against his shoulder and closing my eyes as he rested his cheek on my head and did the same. "She was tall with dark brown hair and eyes that reminded me of the sea glass your uncle and I would collect, just beautiful. She was always happy when Liam and I came to visit since she couldn't have children of her own."

"Does that always happen?"

"Does what always happen, Vee?" I look up at him, resting my hand on my lower stomach.

"The people with my ability, are they always infertile?" I can feel Dad tensing before he finally meets my gaze again, his hand covering mine as that sadness fills his eyes again. "They are, aren't they?"

"Yes," he croaks," I had hoped it would skip you, but I suppose it hasn't since you and Pan have..."

"It's no big deal, I'll just adopt if I ever want kids. After all, I'm only nineteen." I shrug, staring down at my hands as I tug on the bottom of my tank top. "I love you, Daddy." Dad wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly as the tears start to sting my eyes.

"I love you too, baby girl, and don't you ever forget it."

I move quickly through the woods again, listening closely for any of Arthur's knights that may want to impale me for making their ruler do the Macarena on the way to Regina's office earlier this morning. Deciding to just risk it, I use my magic again to transport me to the wishing well deep in the woods where I meant to go before Pan and I were ambushed. I sit on the lip of the well, just enjoying the quiet for a moment before I spoke. "Hey, Emma, we need to talk." With a faint  _whoosh_ the blonde appeared behind me, taking her sweet time to walk around until she was directly in front of me.

"Let me guess," she says, sitting next to me," you want to know what happened in Camelot, too?"

"Not really, I really did just want to talk to someone that doesn't have a stick up their ass. I figure the Dark One is as good as it gets since I knew the last one." That gets a smile out of her and she reaches out to smooth down my long hair. "Your magic feels kind of like Papa's did." I swallow hard and stare down at my boots, blinking back tears. "I just wanted to feel that again since I don't know if he'll ever wake up from his coma."

"I could wake him up for you, Morgan. Just say the words."

"No thanks, I don't need to be indebted to someone that could turn me into a pile of goo if I don't pay up."

"I wouldn't do that to you."

"The old you wouldn't, but I don't know the dark you." I look over at her, taking the time to study her as we fall into silence. She looked like she hasn't slept in weeks, just like Papa did in his bad times. "I just wanted to tell you that I can be a good alley if you needed one and a hell of an enemy if you hurt the people I love. We all know how fiercely you and Regina protect the town, but I can make that look like one of your off days."

"I'm the Dark One, Morgan."

"And I know for a fact that I can have you drained of your precious magic in three seconds flat, I've done it to Papa before, so don't think I'm bluffing." To prove my point, I wrap my fingers around her wrist and begin to drain her, watching as what little color she has leaves her face. When I pull back again, she's breathing hard and shaking. "Don't go up against me, Emma, you won't like the results." All said in a calm voice that I was proud of, I stand, brush off my shorts, and start back on the path towards town.

"It's not me you have to worry about right now, it's the thing that's attacking Arthur's camp." A shriek follows her words seconds after Emma disappears, making me let out a tired groan.

"One time," I grumble as I begin walking in the direction the shriek came from," just one time I would like to go through the day without running after something bad. Jesus, this is Lord of the Rings type exercise and I don't like it!" Of course, no one was around to complain about my complaining, so I just keep it up as I walk, shouting at some points and pausing in others to kick at rocks or blast a hole in trees.  _What's the point in complaining if you don't have anyone to complain to?_  I have no damn idea, but my destruction felt really good.

I skid to a stop on one of the horse trails, watching as a weird black figure screeches and pushes Regina so hard that she flew through the air before hitting the ground a few feet away from an unconscious Robin. The thing turns to stare at me with bright red eyes that took up a large part of its face, its mouth opening to shriek again before it grabs Robin and flies off. “Regina,” Snow shouts as she, Leroy, and David run over to us. “You okay?”

“I’m alive, if that’s what you mean,” Regina answers as we all crowd around her, though I was more curious than concerned.

“She needs help.”

“Leroy,” David commands,” get her to the hospital.”

“No,” Regina interrupts,” I have to go after Robin.”

“While y’all sit here and comfort our Mayor, I’m gonna pay a visit to Micah and see if he knows what the hell just shrieked at me and how we’re supposed to kill the damn thing,” I inform Leroy,” keep me updated.” He nods as I set off again, moving away from the riding trails and over to the hiking ones to avoid the Knights of the Round Table. _More like Knights of the Pretentious Windbag_.

“Wait a moment,” an accented voice demands right before a hand latches onto my arm and jerks me around. “You’re the one that attacked me.”

“Oh great, you’re still here.” It was the windbag himself, the legendary King Arthur that was less golden than I remember from the stories. “Don’t you have a stick to get removed? I heard that if you don’t do it quick, that it starts to splinter and can make it difficult to sit down.”

“Who taught you such atrocious manners?”

“The old Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin himself.” I grin up at him as I remove his hand from my arm. “And guess what else he taught me? How to gut a man with a dull spoon.” So it was a complete lie, but the fear in Arthur’s gray-green eyes made my entire week. “Grab me again, and I’ll show you how good I am at it.” With a wink, I poof myself back to town.

**Camelot—Past**

“Have you ever been to a ball,” Pan asks, as I finish dressing behind the Chinese screen. I can hear him pacing around my room, but I haven’t actually seen him since I kicked him out to let the tailor inside this morning.

“No,” I answer,” Papa was always too afraid that I’d be kidnapped or something worse.” It was harder to breathe than normal since the handmaiden had wrangled me into a corset, though she only tightened it just enough to work as my bra had. The dress I stepped into was strapless and a silver color to set off my dark hair, the skirt of it made up of Tulle so I can move fairly easily while the top hugged my small breasts and was decorated with small white jewels to make it glitter in the candle-lit courtyard where the ball was to take place.

My earrings were made up of gold to look like flowers with a small pearl in the center and the leaves of it dotted with tiny diamonds, the ring I wore was silver and set with an oval-shaped pink diamond with a tiny silver butterfly perched on the edge of the diamond, a silver necklace with a silver snowflake hanging off the chain just above my breasts, a gold bangle wrought in a swirling pattern with small diamonds set into it in random spots, and a pair of white heels. My dark hair remains down, though curled a little more with small jewels threaded into it.

“Are you ever going to come out? I’ve a gift for you.”

“You can’t buy my affections, Pan.”

“I’m not trying to, Darling, I just thought you might like to have this.” Rolling my eyes, I nod for the handmaiden to leave and only emerge from behind the screen when I hear the bedroom door close. It would’ve been easier to just hide out in here behind the screen painted with cherry blossoms, but I knew Micah would drag me downstairs so I could share in his misery. I keep my eyes on the ground, fingers clutching the skirt to keep me from tripping on it. When Pan doesn’t say anything, I look up and find myself having to snap my mouth closed.

He’s always been handsome in an impish way, but he had forgone his usual colors of dark green or brown and went with a nice cream color with silver accents. His doublet showcased the defined muscles in his arms and had silver buttons while the ends of his breeches disappeared into a pair of black leather boots that stopped at his calves with the slightest of heels. His hair, normally a mess of small curls since he returned, has been trimmed and washed so it shone a dark gold color.

“You look…” I trail off, unsure what to say without coming off as clichéd. _Amazing, wonderful, handsome, fuckable… So many options to choose from that might give him the wrong impression, especially that last one._ “Uh, t-tame.”

“Tame,” he asks with a grin, hands behind his back.

“Less wild? I don’t know, better than you did when we got here.” He lets out a laugh, shaking his head in amusement as he moves closer to me, hands still behind his back.

“You look ravishing, Morgan, but I think I have something that will make all of this complete.” I half-hoped that he had a plate of food behind his back, but what he showed me had me smiling in a sad happiness. It was my circlet, the silver one that my papa had given me so many years ago in our garden. Pan’s smile softens a little as he comes closer to settle the circlet on my head, trying not to mess up my curls and removing the jewels all together. “He would want you to wear that to your first ball, I’m sure of it.”

“Thank you, Pan. Really, I-I didn’t think you even knew about it.”

“Belle found it in the shop and I overheard Rumple talking about the day he gave it to you and how happy it made you. It was the only thing I could think of to give you in order for you to have a piece of your papa tonight.”

“I wish he was here.”

“I know, Darling.” In a rare moment of thoughtfulness, Pan reached out and ran his fingers lightly down my cheek and across my jawline, coming to a rest under my chin as he presses a feather light kiss against my forehead. “Shall we?”

“I suppose we shall.” I rest my hand lightly in his outstretched one and let him lead the way out of the castle to the outside steps that lead down to the courtyard where everyone is gathered, the amount of people in attendance making me nervous. I’m not good around people I don’t know, I tend to slip into ‘sarcastic ass’ mode and that pushes people away rather than drawing them in. Before I could tuck tail and stumble back inside, the guy standing off to the side announces our entrance loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Presenting Lady Morgan and Lord Peter,” he introduces loudly. The people below us clap politely as Pan and I make our way down the steps.

“I don’t think I can do this.” My voice was soft and heard only by Pan as we walk.

“I know you can do this, Morgan,” he whispers back. “I’ve seen you stand up to monsters before, a dance is nothing compared to that.” Dad reaches us first, smoothly taking my hand out of Pan’s and leading me out on the dance floor before I had the chance to protest.

“I know you’re my dad and all, but why do you have to start embarrassing me now?”

“Relax, Vee,” he smiles as the music begins,” just do what the women around you are doing.” I make a face, taking quick glances at the women around me as we start our dance, my only hope being that I don’t make a huge spectacle when I eventually crash and burn. The first dance is a simple one to get everyone warmed up, mainly a few spins and a gentle swaying back and forth. “You’ve never attended one of these before, have you?”

“What was your first clue, Einstein?” He laughs, lifting me a little to spin me around as I grip his shoulders tightly and let out a squeak. “Now you’re just being an ass.”

“Excuse me, my lord,” Arthur interrupts,” the Sultan told me Lady Morgan could sing and I thought I would ask her to sing one song for all of us while the last few people arrive.”

“Who do we know that’s a Sultan,” Dad asks in confusion, brows furrowed as he looks around for anyone sporting a turban, but my glare is focused solely on Nicky while he looks on with a cocky grin. _I’m gonna hit him so hard later_.

“Please, my lady.”

“Fine,” I grumble,” but you owe me, Pendragon.” Arthur just grins proudly like he’s just won some big bet, escorting me to where the band was playing. It took me a moment to think up something, but it took even longer explaining to the band how it should sound and how long they should play while I sang.

“Is everything ready?” _We’ll find out together, I guess_. I make a shooing motion to get Arthur to leave me be while I forced myself to sing through the anxiety making my stomach tie itself into knots.

 _“All the lights land on you, the rest of the world fades from view, and all of the love I see—please, please—say you feel it, too. And all of the noise I hear inside, restless and loud, unspoken and wild. And all that you need to say, to make it all go away, is that you feel the same way, too. And I know the scariest part is letting go, ‘cause love is a ghost you can’t control. I promise you, the truth can’t hurt us now, so let the words slip out of your mouth. And all of the steps that led me to you and all of the hell I had to walk through, but I wouldn’t trade a day for the chance to say: My love, I’m in love with you. And I know the scariest part is letting go, ‘cause love is a ghost you can’t control. I promise you, the truth can’t hurt us now, so let the words slip out of your mouth. I know that we’re both afraid; we both made the same mistakes—an open heart is an open wound to you. And in the wind of a heavy choice love had a quiet voice. Still you’re mine, now I’m yours to choose. And I know the scariest part is letting go; let my love be the light that guides you home. And I know the scariest part is letting go, ‘cause love is a ghost you can’t control. I promise you, the truth can’t hurt us now, so let the words slip out of your mouth_.”

I finally open my eyes again, my entire body shaking and my heart beating rapidly in my chest even as the sound of polite clapping came again. Sensing my distress, Nicky made a beeline for me and helped me off to the side, rubbing my arm comfortingly as the dancing starts up again. “You did great, Mo,” he assures me as I slowly start to calm back down again.

“Thanks.” I look past Nicky to where my nephew was standing next to a girl around his age, noting how focused he was on her. “My ickle Henny is all growed up,” I mock-pout, still watching as the pair fall silent as they think up what else to say to each other. “Oh God, they need a topic.” Feeling more like myself, I walk as quickly as I can until I’m a few feet away from Henry and his crush, then slow down to walk past them casually and do the whole cough-speak thing. “Your name,” I cough as I reach them,” name.”

I look over my shoulder as Henry introduces himself, smiling when he gives me a thumbs-up behind his back.

“Well, aren’t you quite the matchmaker,” Pan smirks, moving beside me as I make my way off to the side again.

“If that were true, I would already have a boyfriend.”

“You could have one if you didn’t threaten me every time I touched you.”

“Then again, I don’t have to wear pants if I’m single.”

“Regina,” Robin shouts, drawing everyone’s attention to the guy drawing his sword and pointing it threateningly at Robin’s girlfriend. I didn’t get the chance to move when Robin tackles the guy to the ground, the only thing snapping me out of my shock being David as he takes a knight’s sword and quickly runs it through the other guy. Robin remains on the floor, crimson blooming on the white shirt under his vest.

“I have to help them.”

“How,” Pan asks, holding me back before I could try to draw on my magic. “You’re too weak to do him any good and you know that. You’d only succeed in putting yourself as close to death as Robin is.”

“It’s not fair.”

“No it’s not, but neither is life.” Pan continues holding me as David and Dad carry Robin back in the castle, Snow, Emma, and Regina following quickly after them with Micah running to keep up in his old outfit of dark blue and black. Watching the panic only served to remind me of the panic I felt watching Papa fall into his coma and the panic still hiding in my mind the longer he’s left in that state.

“I can’t do this without Papa, Pan, I just can’t.” I look up at him in fear, clutching the front of his doublet tightly in shaking hands. “I need him back and I’ll pay the price.”

“You’ve already paid the price of saving his heart, there’s nothing else you can do for him. It’s his turn to pay for all the cruelty that he brought into the world.”

**Storybrooke**

“We’re so screwed, aren’t we?”

“You know it, Mo,” Micah nods, snapping the heavy book closed. “Fury’s are nasty and they don’t give up their prey easy. Think Nicky and that plate of nachos, and then amplify it a couple of dozen times.” Nicky gives his husband a look of offense, mouth too full of chips to defend himself. In all honesty, it just helped to prove Micah’s point.

“Okay, so helping to pay the price is gonna be a bitch to do, but Regina can’t do it by herself.” My phone beeps to signal a text, the message from Regina and informing me where she thinks the Fury will be taking Robin Hood. “We have a location, now we have to get moving.” Micah and I made it to the door before we realized that Nicky intended to take the nachos with him.

“Al, just leave the chips.”

“Not a chance,” he grumbles. At least, I think that’s what he was going for, but it was hard to tell since he was still chewing.

“Just leave them!” Micah and Nicky struggle with the plate until it ends up flying in the air and then lands hard on Micha’s toe, the ex-Necromancer jumping up and down in pain with a few curses in Arabic slipping out.

“Sorry, Micah.”

“Not as sorry as you’re gonna be if you don’t get out that damn door!” Blushing, Nicky sprints outside to the car, smartly getting in the backseat while Micah kicks his cheese-covered boots off and gets in the driver’s seat. I had to take a moment, knowing the second I even cracked a smile at Micah I would be right in the doghouse with Nicky. Mostly composed, I join the others in the car, having to bite my lip the entire trip as Micah continues to grumble.

It was completely dark by the time we make it to the park, the blackness broken every few feet by the street lamps. It seems we’re the last to show up at the pond because David, Snow, Arthur, and Leroy are lying on the ground, and Regina is charging the Fury as it sucks the soul from Robin’s limp body. “What are you idiots doing on the ground,” I yell at them as I run past,” the monster’s over here!”

“If you want a life,” Regina screams at the Fury,” take mine!” That’s the dumbest idea I’ve heard in a long time and this town is bursting with morons. The Fury takes the deal, though, turning its magic on Regina, the magic looking purple as it hits her. I step up beside Regina and take her hand, finally feeling useful again.

“Hey, butt ugly, I’m up for grabs!” The magic ricochets off Regina and hits me as well, nearly making me collapse from the agony of my soul being ripped from my body. It reminded me of the pain I felt on Neverland as my shadow was almost torn away, but this made me long for that day as the pain just increases until my mouth is opened in a silent scream. After what feels like hours, the Fury lets out another shriek and disappears, leaving me to drop to the ground.

It hurt to breathe, but I still let out a breathless laugh as Micah and Nicky sit beside me on the damp grass. “We’re so good at our job,” Micah grins, holding both of his hands out, only grinning wider when Nicky and I give him his high five.

“We’re like the Ghostbusters on meth.”


	88. Chapter 88

**Jolly Roger** — **Past**

"And what's this," Killian asks, his hands resting on Milah's shoulders as he leans down to meet her gaze in the warped glass of the mirror. She was holding something in her hand, her fingers loosely closed around it and a nervous smile turning up the corners of her lips. Her nervousness has him frowning in confusion. She's never been nervous around him, not even the first night she spent with him, so what would cause that now? "What's wrong, Milah?"

"It's nothing," she murmurs, almost too softly for him to hear her. "Just something I plan on throwing out." His eyes land on the hand she has laying in her lap, noting the way her fingers had tightened on whatever they held. "I'm tired; I think I'll turn in for the night."

"Milah." She pauses, having only just stood up when he called her name in a tone that dared her to defy him. "Please," he says in a softer tone," don't keep things from me if I can help you." She sighs, seeming to shrink into herself as she turns with her hand outstretched and fingers open to reveal the item that made her worry. Resting in the center of her palm was a necklace, expertly crafted and hanging on a silver chain. The heart-shaped gem was a sapphire, obviously expensive. He wondered where she'd gotten it since he wasn't the one to steal it. "Why were you hiding this?" He takes it from her, studying it closer in the light of the candles.

" _He_  gave it to me when we were married." Killian knew who she meant, the husband she'd left behind for a life of adventure and a little romance. Neither of them had expected to fall in love, but that's exactly what happened. "I shouldn't have kept it this long."

"Don't be ridiculous; he obviously loved you when he had this made for you, and you loved him once upon a time. You should keep it; think of it as a symbol of when you were younger." She gives a sad smile, taking the necklace back from him and setting it down on the little bedside table before taking her hands in his.

"Perhaps I could pass it down to a child."

"What child?" Killian didn't know what she was talking about until she raised a brow at him and placed his hands on her toned stomach. Even then, it took him a full minute to work out what that simple gesture meant, then he was on his knees, lips pressed against her stomach where his child would reside for nine months or so. "Are you sure?"

"Completely."

**Camelot—Past**

"Vee." I pause on the way down the hall, finding Dad standing a few feet behind me. "Come with me, I've something you might like."

"It's not a weapon, is it," I ask, walking beside him back to his room. "Because David's already got the Court blacksmith working on a sword for me in case Pan gets too handsy." Dad chuckles at that, but doesn't comment on it and that's what has me worried that his present really is another weapon. My room had seemed airy with light colors and fabrics, but Dad's was a bit darker since it had fewer windows.

"It's over here." He leads me over to the desk set against a wall under one of the few windows, the glass panes opened to allow in fresh air and much-needed sunlight. He opens one of the desk drawers and pops open the false bottom before pulling out a long silver necklace with a heart-shaped sapphire that was barely larger than my thumbnail. "It belonged to your mother and I thought you would like to wear it." I allow him fasten the necklace around my throat, the sapphire stopping under my breasts.

"Is this one you gave to her?" I look up from the sapphire, smiling up at him even as he grimaces a little.

"No, she got from Rum- er, your papa." My smile widens because I know how hard it was for him to call Rumple my papa, but he managed it and I'm proud of him. "He gave it to her as a wedding present back before he was the Dark One."

"Mom kept it all that time?"

"Yes, well, she didn't want to at first because she felt it was of poor taste, but I convinced her to keep it as a symbol of her first love." Dad had a sad smile on his lips as he smooths down some of my hair, it was the smile he got whenever he remembered Milah or the past before Papa messed up his life. "She also told she wanted our baby to have it if it was a girl, and here you are."

"Here I am." I hug him tightly, breathing in his scent of leather and rum, comforting and familiar from childhood. "Thank you, Daddy. It's nice to have something that belonged to her besides the scarf." I can feel his laugh vibrate in his chest, though he wasn't laughing loudly.

"So," Dad says when we pull back," where were you off to?"

"I was gonna go babysit for Snow and David, it's been about twelve years since I held a baby that small and I kind of miss it."

"Well, I don't want to keep you from that." He kisses the top of my head before sending me on my way.

"Love you!"

"And I love you, sweet girl."

**Storybrooke**

"What are you doing all the way out here," Pan asks as he walks into the clearing surrounding the old wishing well. "It's a bit dreary, don't you think?" I look up at him, bottom lip trapped between my teeth. "Oh, don't give me that look, you know what it does to me."

"You big baby," I remark, standing up and brushing off the butt of my jeans. As it was growing cold again, I had dressed in skinny jeans, a black sweater with 'meow' printed on it in white, and a sensible pair of boots that were only laced enough to keep them on my feet. Pan was dressed similarly in loose jeans, a baggy gray tee with the Death Star on it, and a pair of converse.

"Seriously, Morgan, what are you doing all the way out here?"

"I don't want to deal with other people's problems." I shrug, kicking out at the crisp leaves on the ground and watching them scatter. "No one ever comes this far out since the well lost its touch. Pan opened his mouth to say something, but he's cut off by a woman calling out his name seconds before a pretty brunette broke through the tree line.

"Bridget." Pan's green eyes widened slightly as I look between him and the woman. There was no denying that Bridget was pretty in a delicate way—petite, porcelain skin, and hair that fell in bouncy curls I thought I'd only see in cartoons.

"Are you…?"

"Ah, Morgan, this is my girlfriend. Bridget, this is—"

"I know who she is," Bridget states, wrapping both of her arms around one of his in a move that spoke of how possessive she was. "She's the Dark One's daughter." Almost unconsciously, I take on a fighting stance, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. I couldn't help it, I was angry that Pan had a girlfriend, but I was having trouble figuring out why. I'd had a boyfriend after Pan and I broke up, so why should I feel angry that he's moved on like I have?

"Ex-Dark One," I correct, my eyes narrowed.  _I could snap her like a twig if I had to_. It was obvious that she had no access to magic or she may have tried to set me on fire for being anywhere near Pan. Hell, if looks could kill, I'd be roasting in Hell right about now. "Well, I promised I'd babysit for the Charming family, so I'd better get going. See ya, Pan," I smile, patting the arm that wasn't in Bridget's grasp. Then, with a sneer, I say my goodbye to the tramp. "Gidget."

"It's  _Bridget_!"

**Camelot—Past**

I clap with all the others as David walks into the throne room in full armor, his helmet under his arm and a shit-eating grin on his face. As happy as I am that he's getting knighted today, my gaze keeps moving to where Pan and another woman were standing. Their fingers were entwined and she kept getting closer to Pan, deliberately pressing her breasts against his arm when she whispers something to him. If I wasn't supposed to be one of the good guys and my nephew wasn't standing right beside me, I would have turned the bitch into a football and then kicked her right through one of the windows.

"I dub thee Sir David of the Enchanted Forest," Arthur declares, voice ringing out and distracting me from the utter hatred I was sending Pan's way. "Now of the Round Table." Arthur taps David's shoulders with his sheathed blade as he spoke, but now he took a step back and smiled down at his new buddy. "I know Knight of the Round Table is pale fire, indeed, next to the title of Prince."

"No," David replies good-naturedly," I am beyond honored."

"Then rise, Sir Knight. Take your place." David stands, making it look easy to walk around in the golden armor, but I knew that stuff had to be at least half his weight. David starts to sit in one of the simple chairs surrounding the table, but Arthur clears his throat and points at the largest one that was upholstered in cloth-of-gold.

"Really?"

"I never thought I'd find anyone I trust enough to fill that seat, but it's yours." Arthur leads the way to the big seat, standing behind it with a proud smile. "It will bear your coat of arms." Guinevere steps forward to hang a cushion on the back of the chair by its tassels, the images of a lion and flowers depicted on it belonging to the joined houses of the Charmings. David and Arthur clasp arms, but my gaze is drawn back to Pan and the other woman again.

"Are you okay, Vee," Dad whispers, moving to stand on my right.

"I'm fine," I hiss.

"Really? Because you're looking a bit green." I turn my glare on him, cocking an eyebrow in the exact same way he looked at me the second time I called Rumple 'Papa'. "Alright, alright, I'll stay out of it."

"That would be smart." The applause starts up again and I join in, but my glare is still trained on the happy couple.  _Mine_.

**Storybrooke**

I smile as Belle enters Granny's, no longer so angry at her now that she confessed that her freezing out Papa was just some petty  _how do you like it_ revenge that she needed to get out of her system. "Granny, have you got my lunch ready," she asks, setting the glass container holding the enchanted rose on the counter in front of her. Flower petals were floating around it, showing how long Papa has left in his life.

"Yeah," Granny answers, handing Belle half a sandwich on a plate that was covered in saranwrap to keep it fresh," but, girl, you're gonna need more than that. Sit down for some real food. Look, Morgan's doing it and Gold was her father."

"Step-father," Dad calls from across the room, waving a hand around," her biological father is sitting right here."

"Can it, Hook." Dad frowns, but it's still amusing how jealous he gets.

"Oh my God," Belle gasps, drawing our attention to the rose," yeah, I have to get back to him. Just forget the soup. I'm sorry." There was only one petal desperately clinging to the stem now and the sight of it had my breathing speeding up. Any hope I had that he would pull through was diminishing quickly because if that one petal fell, it was all over. I jump up to run to the shop with Belle, but Granny stops us.

"Hang on, is it supposed to do that?" We look back to the rose, eyes widening as petals begin to move back to their proper places on the stem, magic sparking off it as Papa regains his strength. With hopeful smiles, Belle and I rush down the street to the shop, bursting into the backroom with the idea that I would hug Papa and never let him go, only to skid to a stop in the doorway because his cot was empty.

Papa's gone.

**'Gidget' is the name for my cousin's old Chihuahua, so I thought I'd squeeze it in for Morgan to use instead of Bridget's actual name.**


	89. Chapter 89

** Mozenrath's Citadel—Past **

"You're an idiot." Mozenrath said it as a fact, his arms crossed over his chest even as Cassim straightened up with his chest puffed out. There was no denying that the other man was stronger than Mozenrath, but Moze had his Gauntlet and wasn't afraid to shoot the thief off his feet.

"If you think you can do a better job, then be my guest," Cassim growls back, gesturing at the mess occupying Mozenrath's kitchen.

"Of course I can do a better job, but why should I dirty my hands doing your dirty work?" They were nose to nose now, the Gauntlet glowing a threatening red as Mozenrath's anger continued to grow. "It's not my fault you can't do a simple task."

"This whole thing was your idea, Mozenrath!" Mozenrath had his right hand raised when Aladdin walked inside, his exasperated expression enough to have Mozenrath faltering in his task. "What's wrong, Necromancer, losing your nerve now?"

"No," Aladdin clarifies," he knows what I do when he uses his magic for evil." At his son's voice, Cassim grimaces. They'd been caught, though it wasn't the interrupted fight Cassim was sad about, it was that they still had the decorations in plain sight. "What's all that stuff for?"

"Uh, er," Cassim stutters, kicking some of the pile behind the long banquet table Mozenrath had poofed into existence just two hours ago. "It's nothing, son."

"It sure looks like something." He raises an eyebrow, not moving from his spot in the doorway. Mozenrath may be a good liar, but Cassim—despite being the King of the Forty Thieves—couldn't lie to save his life. Aladdin knew if he continued staring at his father long enough, that the older man would blurt out the big secret.

"You may as well tell the boy, Mozenrath. It was your idea, after all." Mozenrath scowls up at Cassim before fixing his dark eyes on Aladdin.

"Happy birthday, Street Rat," he grumbles.

** Camelot—Micah **

"She looks dreadful."

"Not really helping here, Micah," Morgan scolds, sending him a stern look over her shoulder as he studies Emma. The blonde was just lying there, staring into space and not speaking as everyone in their core group gathered around her. There was no denying that something was wrong, she was seeing and hearing Rumpelstiltskin for Allah's sake, but Micah wasn't sure if this was normal or not.

"I can't be helpful if I don't know what's wrong with her. Maybe this is something all new Dark Ones go through or maybe she's having a mental break from all the stress." He shrugs, crouching down in front of her and resting the fingers of his right hand against her forehead. He felt the pulse of dark magic, but nothing that would explain her sickness. "Let her get some rest without dealing with the drama that comes with all of you."

"I just said that," Regina frowns.

"I wasn't here for that, now was I?" Nicky rolls his eyes, sharing a look with Morgan as they so often did when Micah let his attitude show in public. It was usually followed by one of them kicking him. Morgan kicks him lightly, a warning one to put him back in social mode. _I knew it was coming and I still didn't dodge it_.

"Come on, Love," Hook implores as he helps Emma to her feet," let's sail away." Micah, Nicky, and Morgan follow the couple and Henry out of Regina's room and down the hall, Micah's group branching away from the others as he leads the way to his and Nicky's room. Once inside, he uses his magic to shut and lock the door while Nicky turns on Morgan.

"What's wrong with you," Nicky asks bluntly, fixing his wide brown eyes on Morgan. It was a look Micah was intimately familiar with, one that made it impossible for people to lie to him. He swears that Nicky was using some of his limited magic to influence people, but hasn't been able to prove it yet. Morgan just looks down at her shoes, avoiding eye contact because she knows that look almost as well as Micah. "You can either tell us willingly or I can dangle you out the window, your choice, Mo."

"You wouldn't dare," she says quickly, finally looking up at him.

"Oh, trust me, I'm good at dangling people out windows."

"That's how he proposed to me, actually," Micah muses," by dangling my father out the window and arguing with me about all the perks that come with having Nicky as a husband."

"One of which was dangling a demon out a window." Micah nods with a fond smile. It'd taken them months to summon the right demon and then Nicky had promptly hung the demon out the closest window and proposed while struggling not to fall out the window himself. Morgan sits in one of the high-backed chairs in front of the fireplace, hands in her lap and ankles crossed as Trista had taught her. "Now, what's wrong with you?"

"There's nothing-"

"Go open the shudders." Micah was going to do just that when Morgan began to talk again.

"Wait, wait, alright!" She flung her hands out, palms facing Nicky in a gesture of surrender. "Pansseeinganotherwoman."

"I'm sorry," Micah drawls," didn't quite catch that one. Care to try again?" Morgan's shoulders hunch forward and her head lowers, hair hiding most of her face, but Micah can seeing the complete fury in her eyes.

"Pan is seeing another woman."

"So what? We hate Pan because he manipulated me into doing his bidding, stole your heart in both senses of the word, and then tried to go Dark Lord with that useless Nevergem you had." Morgan looks up now, the fury mixed with sadness like she couldn't decide how to feel about all of it. He didn't like it, it could mean she still felt something about Pan other than a near-overwhelming need to shove large objects where the sun doesn't shine. "We  _do_ still hate him, right?"

"Yes?" Micah throws his hands up in the air, beginning to pace in front of Morgan’s seat as Nicky just drops in the chair across from her. “I don’t know, I thought I was over him, but then  _Bridget_ showed up and I realized exactly how great he is when he’s not busy ruling Mordor. I just….”

“You’re jealous,” Nicky supplies,” pining for lost love, pissed you didn’t strike sooner—“

“Yeah, we got it, Nicky.”

“I mean, I can’t blame you.”

“Yes you can,” Micah snaps, not finding Nicky’s grin to be reassuring,” blame her, blame the  _hell_ out of her, but don’t say you can’t because that means you like him too!”

“Great, now the two people I love most in this world are jealous because of the same man. Not weird at all, but alright.” Micah narrows his eyes, pointing an accusing finger at his husband.

“You do like him, you think he’s hotter than I am.”

“He might have a nice face, but I’m more interested in voices. Yours is the only one that makes me—“ Morgan makes a loud noise, fingers in her ears as she keeps babbling. Still, Micah knew how Nicky’s sentence would’ve ended and he had a satisfied smile on his face as he sits on the arm of Nicky’s chair and waits for Morgan to figure out they’d stopped talking. “Anyway, what do you plan to do about this Bridget?”

“I don’t suppose I can send her on a long walk off a short pier, can I,” she asks dryly. Morgan gives a scowl w hen Nicky shakes his head in the negative . “Then I guess I’ll dress in a way that’ll draw Pan’s gaze back to me and hopefully I’ll get a little—“ It was Micah’s turn to jam his fingers in his ears and babble this time, even the thought of Morgan having sex something he didn’t want to think about. She was too much like a baby sister for him and he didn’t need those thoughts in his head.

“Well, don’t kill her or maim her too badly, but if she swings at you first, beat her until she’s part of the path.” Morgan gives a mock salute before walking out, shutting the door behind her while Nicky rests his head against Micah’s arm. “She’s gonna kill that poor woman.”

“Yeah,” Micah smiles,” but she’ll probably do it looking great.”

“She did inherit that much from Rumple.”

** Morgan **

The second my bedroom door is closed behind me, I rush over to my wardrobe and throw the doors open before rummaging around for the box that the tailor had delivered just two days ago. The outfit inside was a plum colored dress that would stop a few inches above my knees, a pair of black thigh high stockings, and a pair of Valentino heels that would accentuate my legs. If this doesn’t draw his eye, then I don’t know what will. Newly confident, I turn on my heel and head down to the courtyard where I’d seen Pan and Bridget hanging out. Just as I’d figured, he and the tramp were walking around near the gardens, Bridget clinging tightly to one of his arms. “Spying now,” Robin asks, stepping up beside me.

“Is it really spying,” I return, not taking my eyes off the couple a few feet away.

“Well, if your idea is to make Pan jealous, I suppose that outfit will certainly to the trick, but you’ll need a boy of your own to really get under his skin.” Grinning, I give Robin a tight hug before running as well as I can in the shoes. My strength had basically returned after a few days in Camelot and I’m almost strong enough to use magic again. I run up to the first man I come across that looks around my age, dressed in broiled leather and the red and blue tunic I’ve seen some knights wearing. “Are you single,” I ask breathlessly.

“Ah, I’m not sure,” he replies with a laugh. He really was good-looking with short dark hair and skin the same color as Trista's; he was fit and taller than Pan, so I wouldn't worry about who would win in a fight if Pan decides to take on the poor guy. “What does single mean?”

“You courting anyone?” He shakes his head and a quick glance at his ring finger tells me he’s not married. “You wanna make someone jealous with me?”

“How would we do that?”

“All you have to do is pretend to like me and kiss me every now and again in front of the guy I like.”

“It doesn’t seem very noble.”

“Oh please, you kill people for a living and your King has the world’s biggest stick up his ass, don’t talk to me about being noble. You gonna help or not?” He laughs again, taking one of my hands in his and kissing my knuckles.

“I’m Sir Bradley, and you are?”

“Morgan Gold, I’m a Scorpio, I hate peas, and I love throwing blunt objects at people’s heads. Let’s go win back my boyfriend.” It wasn’t just the competition that made me want to get Pan back, I still liked him and miss being around him. He may be Voldemort in training, but he’s also the only boyfriend I’ve had that’s shown me even the slightest bit of care. “There they are.” I point out Pan and Bridget to Bradley, growing angry on instinct.

“Easy, Morgan, you’re supposed to look happy.”

“Right, sorry.” I school my face into an expression of complete giddiness, resting my hand in the crook of his elbow as we begin to stroll around the gardens closer to Pan. Pan looks up when I fake a giggle and I can see his eyes growing stormy when Bradley leans down to kiss my cheek. Still, Pan says nothing as we pass him and Bridget only holds tighter to him. This may be harder than I thought, but it will be fun to win him back. After all, as daughter of the Dark One, I usually get what I want and having pirate blood in me means I’ll fight.

“He looked rather angry. Should I be worried?”

 “You’re a knight, you can just step on him.”


	90. Chapter 90

I move quickly through the halls of the castle, casting glances over my shoulder to make sure I'm not followed as I make my way to the King's room. Excalibur was there while Arthur trained with his knights and it was my only chance to see if it still responds to me. I skid to a stop and scramble back around the corner when I see a guard standing outside the room, his hand on the hilt of his sword. I hold my hand out palm up, shaking as I try to force a ball of magic to form there, something Papa taught me when I was eight. As I was focusing, I heard a grunt and then the soft thump of a body hitting the ground.

Brows furrowed, I peak around the corner and find the guard unconscious and the door standing wide open. "Thank you," I grin, hopping over the guard and walking into the sitting room, making sure to close the door behind me. It was almost completely quiet in here save for the crackling flames and the sound of footsteps further inside. If it was Arthur or Guinevere, then they wouldn't have to knock the guard out, so who else would be rummaging around in here?

Not wanting to be unprepared, I grab an iron fire poker and walk as quietly as I can towards the footsteps, but being quiet isn't easy since I'm wearing heels and the hem of my skirt was brushing the stone floor. The next room is the bedroom and the other person here is pulling clothes out of the large wardrobe. It's easy for me to realize who the intruder is, his short blonde hair and lean figure imprinted in my mind.

"Excalibur isn't in there, Pan." Pan tenses a moment before turning to face me, the curtain of awkward hanging between us stemmed from days of purposefully running into each other with our new other halves. "Really? I thought you still had a sense about these things." He scoffs, but still follows me back into the sitting room and over to the fireplace. After replacing the poker, I start feeling around the mantel, pressing where I felt bumps or where the designs of dragons poked out more than others.

"And I thought you had an ounce of common sense," Pan remarks," there's no way he'd hide Excalibur using a method that's been overdone." While Pan was talking, I found a part of a dragon's tail that didn't line up properly and I quickly twisted it to the right before pressing it into the marble, a faint _click_ sounding before part of the wall on the left sprung open.

"Know your clichés, Pan, because every now and then, someone's dumb enough to use them." I grab one of the torches that light the room before entering the hidden room, marble steps slick underfoot. My heels clicked loudly as I walk further down the spiral staircase, holding the torch up high to light the way. I could hear Pan walking behind me as well as the sound of a sword being unsheathed.

"Even you should know how dangerous it is to walk into a secret passage, Morgan."

"What can I say, I'm as stubborn as both of my fathers." After a few minutes of walking, we enter a wide space under the castle, the room damp with moss growing in patches along the floor and walls, but in the very center of the room was a Dais where Excalibur was resting. "I'm also really good at getting what I want."

"And what is it you want?" Suddenly the room seemed smaller as Pan came close, his sword back in its sheath and the torch secured in one of the iron holders nearby. This close to him, I could smell the scent of his magic, like the outdoors early in the morning, almost innocent if it didn't leave my head spinning. It was a scent that I've grown fond of, one that mixed nicely with the scent of my magic. _Just more proof, I guess_. Slowly, almost like he was hesitant, Pan bends his head down and presses his lips against mine in what was meant to be just a chaste kiss.

I couldn't help returning it with all I had, wrapping my arms around his waist as he cups my face, both of us stumbling backwards against one of the walls where Pan kept me pinned. He tasted of chocolate, sweet and sinful and delicious. It only made me crave more, made me want to survive with just this alone—with just Pan, and forget all of the others and their drama. I was tired of playing games and making him jealous, tired of pretending to love someone when all I really wanted to do was curl up with Pan.

I was falling in love again and I was falling hard.

**Storybrooke**

Stupidity is an amazing thing where teenagers are concerned, but I think I managed to win the gold when I burst into Emma's new house and started for the door that hid some kind of heavy duty magic. She had some kind of spell protecting her house and on the door to the basement, but it was easily absorbed into me as I kick the basement door open and start down the stairs.

"About time you showed up," Emma remarks as I stomp down the stairs into the cavern-like room where Excalibur and my papa were hidden. "Maybe I can use you if Rumple doesn't cooperate."

"Maybe I can blast your ass to Kingdom Come, but we probably won't find out, will we," I snarl back as I join Papa. "Come on, let's get you out of here and back home." Papa leans heavily on me as we walk for the stairs, his limp back and worse than ever, but just a few feet from our destination, I'm drug backwards and trapped in the small section of room gated off from the rest. I throw myself against the golden gate, but a burst of electricity has me flying back against the rock wall.

"Sorry, Morgan, but I need you if I want my sword. They're anti-magic bars, I designed them after your friend's anti-magic manacles." _Damn Micah and his inventions_.

"Please," Papa begs, still sitting on the ground where he'd fallen when Emma used her magic to throw me. "Please, just let my daughter go and I will try what you ask! Please." This isn't the Papa I was raised around, the one I know would have turned Emma into a pile of ash by now. I do a quick read of his magic and find none. Papa's as powerless as I am right now.

"Merida." A fit woman in a torn dress steps out of the shadows, her curly red hair hanging wildly around her face as she looks at Emma in disgust.

"Yes, Dark One," she asks once in the light, her Scottish accent even thicker than my papa's.

"Get him out of my sight. Take him to the woods and begin." Begin what? What did she think she could use the new powerless version of Rumple to do when he can't even stand by himself?

"How long do you think you can hold my heart and threaten me?" In fear, Papa crawls backwards to lean against the gate keeping me hostage, reaching through the bars to hold my hand once I kneel in the dirt behind him.

"As long as it takes to get what I want."

"Maybe, but I'm thinking I can break your spell!" Merida charged forward, but she didn't even get two feet before her heart materialized in Emma's hand, Merida doubling over in pain when Emma applies pressure to it.

"Now take him to the woods and make me a hero." Merida, still in obvious pain, moves to grab my papa as I tighten my hold on him.

"No," I shout right as they're engulfed in Emma's magic and whisked away. "Leave him alone!" I throw myself against the bars again, but I'm blasted back just like the last time I tried.

"Stop testing my patience. As it is, I still have feelings for you, but feelings change and you're not exactly at your full strength in there."

**Camelot**

"I suppose we should rejoin society," Pan sighs but doesn't move from his spot in the bed, his arm still wrapped loosely around my shoulders as my head rested on his chest. "Then again, it's much quieter in here and there are some very interesting activities I can recommend."

"Mm, don't get too ahead of yourself," I smile, sitting up and straightening my shirt. We hadn't done anything after we made her way to his room, nothing _bad_ anyway, we just took a nice relaxing nap. "I should go in case you-know-who drops by."

"Voldemort?"

"No, your girlfriend."

"Bridget," he asks with a laugh. "I was just using her for sex and I made that perfectly clear to her, but I don't think she quite understood." He shakes his head, the tips of his fingers moving up and down my arm as he stares up at the vaulted ceiling. "She's a bit clingy, I'd forgotten women can be like that."

"I wasn't that clingy, was I?"

"Neither of us had time to be clingy, we were being chased by monsters nearly every day of the week. Not that you're the clingy type anyway, you don't even like to snuggle most of the time." I let out a sigh, running a hand through my thick hair before standing up and pulling on my skirt and shoes. "Do you really have to leave?"

"Believe it or not, those hero types are naïve when it comes to Artie, so it falls on my shoulders to send him suspicious looks every now and then to keep him on his toes. Who knows, maybe he'll screw up and I can lord it over everybody's heads because I knew he was shady when they didn't." Pan lets out a snort of amusement, pulling on his shirt and walking with me to the door that leads out into the hallway.

"Be careful, I don't want to bail you out of jail because you grew irritated with Arthur and punched him."

"Don't be so dramatic, Pan," I grin, opening the door," I'd kick him." With a wink, I shut the door behind me and start for the stairs that lead to the main courtyard where Merlin was displayed as a giant tree. Poor guy was probably bored to death and could use some good gossip.

"Aunt Mo," Henry calls, running up to me with an excited grin.

"Slow down, Squirt."

"How do I set up Granny's for a date?"

"A _date_? Oh, is it that girl from the party?" At his nod, I let out a squeal and do a little jump. "My baby nephew has his first girlfriend!"

"Aunt Mo, stop it, that's embarrassing."

"But it's so cute, Henry!" At his look—one that meant he was more than willing to find someone else—I try and calm myself, settling for a grin and trying not to jump more. "Okay, okay, so what kind of date do you want?" He opens his mouth, but I cut him off with a wave of my hand. "Light the candles Granny keeps hidden in the pantry, find some cute flowers to put in a vase, put that vase on the table you'll be sitting at, and play the girl some music."

"I know just the song."

"Of course you do, and you're gonna be great at this whole dating thing. Trust me, one thing our family has down is dating really good-looking people."

"Like you and Pan?" He gives me a sly smile and an eyebrow waggle, nodding back the way I'd come.

"Unless you want me to show up during your date and start singing that annoying song from the Lion King, then you'll use that big brain of yours and keep your mouth shut about me and Pan." I said it in a sweet voice, my hands resting on Henry's shoulders. "Mm-kay, honey bunches?"

"What do I get in return?"

"Ohh, I rubbed off on you more than I thought. Alright, I won't tell your mom about you dating if you won't tell my dad about me. Deal?"

"Deal," he nods, both of us shaking hands and heading off in different directions.

**Storybrooke**

"Down at an English fair, one evening I was there," I sing to myself, settled against the hard wall as I throw pebbles at the gate. They passed through unharmed, but I got a nasty shock if I even tried to stick a fingernail out," when I heard a showman shouting underneath the flare. I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, there they are all standing in a row—big ones, small ones, some as big as your head!"

"Enough," Emma shouts from somewhere upstairs," you're giving me a migraine!" With a glare at the ceiling of the cavern, I just sing louder than ever. Maybe someone will complain to David and he'll rescue me.

"Give 'em a twist, a flick of the wrist, that's what the showman said! Oh, I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, every ball you throw will make me rich! There stands my wife, the idle of my life, singing roll a bowl or ball, a penny a pitch! Roll a bowl or ball, roll a bowl or ball, singing roll a bowl or ball a penny a pitch! I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts—"

A zap of her magic had my voice taken, only a hoarse squeak coming out when I try to sing. That was just a low blow, but taking my voice doesn't mean I can't annoy the blonde. I pick up a nearby rock the size of my hand and bang it repeatedly against the bars, making sure not to let any of my skin touch them to keep me from getting another injury. Emma materializes a few feet away from my cage, hands on her hips and a harsh glare sent in my direction. "What do you want?" I drop the rock, raising an eyebrow as I send her a _duh_ look. Rolling her eyes, she gives my voice back with a flick of her wrist.

"I'd like to be let out-"

"Besides that."

"Something to sit on would be nice." If I'm going to be held hostage again, then I might as well be kept comfortable. Her magic wraps around me, lacking the comforting nature I found in Papa's, and her magic has me sitting in a comfortable arm chair. "Why are you really keeping me here? I mean, Papa can't be forced to do something that's basically impossible and kidnapping me won't make Dad see you in a fond way."

"If Rumple can't get Excalibur out of the stone, then maybe you can since it used to belong to you."

"Maybe he would respond better to you if you stopped treating him like a tool and more like the amazing sword he is. To start off with, he likes to be called Cal when he's close to his owner." Emma holds out a hand longingly towards Excalibur, but makes sure not to actually try and touch it. "You were blasted back, weren't you? Whoa, he must really not like your magic or it just happens when the Dark One wants him because the same thing happened to Papa."

"Yes, well, keep it down or I'll be forced to turn you into a toad." I open my mouth with a response when the doorbell rings, followed by Henry's voice calling for Emma.

"No," I say quickly, pointing at Emma," no you can't just-" Smoke swirls around her, transporting her out of the basement. "It's rude to leave me down here without any entertainment!" But she was already out of hearing range and I'm stuck down here with just Excalibur for company. "Looks like it's just you and me, Cal." A few minutes after Emma left, I can hear the sounds of multiple voices and footsteps above me. I look up as the basement door swings open and Regina leads the way down the stone steps.

"Morgan," Dad asks in surprise, running over to me and clutching at the bars. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

"Oh, you know, just trying to get in Bruce Wayne's head. What do you think I'm doing here, you twit? I'm being held hostage by your girlfriend!" Dad rolls his eyes, gesturing for me to step back as he starts working on the bars with his hook, managing to pry the gate open. "About time, there's only so much you can do in such a small space before you completely lose it."

"Oh please," Regina scoffs," you never had it to begin with." Frowning, I make my way over to the stone Excalibur was stuck in, reaching out a hand to run it across the cold steel of the blade.

"He's changed appearances."

"The sword is a guy now?"

"He's also broken from his rough journey back to his home in Camelot. He probably ripped some timelines and knitted a few more together to form our current predicament." Then I notice the black designs near the bottom, designs I knew from seeing the Dark One Dagger firsthand. "Do these swirls look familiar to anyone else?" The others move closer, examining the strange marks etched into the sword.

"The dagger," Belle answers first. "It's the same design, the same edges."

"Morgan," Regina questions," do you know what she wants with this?"

"Sorry, all I know is that she wants it out and thinks Papa is basically the only one who can get it." I wrap my hand gently around the hilt and give a firm tug, only succeeding in pulling out half an inch. "Looks like we're not as compatible as we used to be, buddy." With a soft sigh, I move to stand next to Robin, letting the others examine Cal.

"Wait, so she was holding Gold here too? Well, where is he?"

"Somewhere in the woods, Emma wasn't very specific when she poofed him and her other hostage away. On another note, I feel the urge to break some of her stuff, who's with me?" Regina's phone chimes and she brings it out of her pocket to see who was texting her.

"No time for that, Henry says she's on her way." Robin nudges me ahead of him as we all start up the stairs, Dad bringing up the rear and closing the basement door behind us. We make it to the opened front door when Dad comes to a stop, staring at something on the dining table to our left. “Hey, what are you doing?” Dad ignores her, walking over to the small octagonal box, leaving the rest of us to follow behind in curiosity. Dad pulls out a dreamcatcher with three small seashells braided into the webbing of it and a few feathers dangling from the end.

“What the hell is that,” Robin asks in confusion.

“It’s a dreamcatcher,” Dad answers sadly. “Baelfire gave her one similar to this a long time ago, but this is different.” I reach out a hand and touch the dreamcatcher with one of my fingers, letting out a long sigh when I feel the magic coursing through it. “It’s not just a regular dreamcatcher, is it, Vee?”

“Nope,” I reply, shaking my head. “My bet is that this started out as a hobby and she figured out how to use it for her deviously magical needs.” Dad raises a brow when I look back up at him, still holding the dreamcatcher in his hand. “Dark Ones don’t sleep, so they need something to pass the time—Papa had spinning and Emma might’ve taken up arts and crafts.”

“Emma could’ve used this to take our memories,” Regina adds, taking it from Dad and leading the way outside. “I’ll take it home to see if I can’t figure out how she managed to do it. Hook, you keep an eye on Morgan since she seems to be the one our villains can’t resist kidnapping.”

“Hey! I managed to talk your batty sister out of kidnapping me.”

**Camelot**

I look up when I feel magic reaching out to me, quickly moving across my room to look out the window that faces Merlin’s part of the courtyard. Regina and Emma were standing near the tree, both looking disappointed as the faint puff of magic disappears. Curious now, I sit on the edge of the window and then allow myself to fall forward, my magic cushioning my fall and allowing me to land on my feet as Henry comes around the corner.

“Hey, Squirt,” I smile, ruffling his hair and gaining attention from Regina and Emma. “How’d your date go?” Henry pushes my hand away, trying to fake a smile, but I’ve done enough of that in my time, so it’s easy to see past his. “Oh God, what happened? Was she allergic to Granny’s lasagna?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he chokes out, fighting back tears. I wrap my nephew up in a tight hug, wanting nothing more than to protect him more than anything in the world. He’s the only good thing in my life, the only person who hasn’t faltered when it comes to darkness. He’s more of a Savior than his mother will ever be.

“You know you don’t have to keep up appearances with us.” Emma and Regina have joined us by this point, Regina stretching out a hand to smooth down Henry’s hair when he pulls back. “If nothing else, you can get it off your chest.”

“I tried doing what Mom said, I tried acting like myself, but she didn’t want anything to do with me.” His voice breaks at the end, his tears starting to fall and I have to fight the instinct to hit that Violet girl right in the face. After all he’s been through, Henry deserved at least one thing to go the way he wanted it to. “Violet’s right, in this world, I’ll never be a hero.”

“Fuck Violet, we’ll find you a girl that doesn’t smell like a horse.” I wrap a protective arm around his shoulders as Regina pulls out a handkerchief.

“You may not be a hero in _her_ world,” Regina reasons, dabbing at Henry’s tears using the handkerchief,” but you will be in ours. This’ll work. This tear, _your_ tear, Henry.”

“It’ll free Merlin,” Henry asks, looking a tiny bit better at that thought.

“You can save me, Kid,” Emma affirms.

“Stop,” Arthur shouts, he and a group of his knights coming up on us with determined expressions. _The assholes are coming, the assholes are coming_. “Stay away from the tree. I won’t ask twice. You and your people have done nothing but lie to me ever since you got here.” I push Henry behind me, facing the goon patrol without an ounce of fear. I may not have my full strength back, but I have enough that I can turn these guys into the rats they are.

“Look, Squirt,” I remark,” we have the idiots those villages were missing.”

“We welcomed you, celebrated you, and in return you bring the Dark One into the heart of my kingdom, endangering all who live here. Give me the dagger!”

“You want it,” Regina asks in a dangerously low tone, summoning a ball of fire,” Come get it.” She hands the hanky off to Emma, the blonde taking it and running back to where they performed the first potion.

“What’s the matter, Artie,” I laugh, taking another step forward,” afraid to go up against a girl half your size?” The jibe obviously hit him hard, but he just clenches his jaw and sends me a harsh glare. I turn when I feel the magic again, stronger this time as it shoots out in streams of black and white.

“Charge,” Arthur shouts, Regina tossing her fireball and pushing me towards Henry at the same time. I push Henry back farther, watching as Emma aims the magic at Merlin’s tree, the powerful stuff swirling around it in a whirlwind. Strong wind follows it, whipping my hair in my face and making me hold up a hand in case it picked up any debris. As the last few strands of magic join the others, all of us apart from Emma are thrown to the ground by the sheer force. I wince as I sit back up, my gaze moving from Emma to the man kneeling where the tree had once been. Power radiated through Merlin, stronger than anything I’ve ever encountered before—the Dark One excluded.

He stands slowly, pushing the cowl of his cloak off his head and facing us all with a smile of thanks. Where I’d always pictured an old man with a long beard, wrinkly skin, and white hair, this guy was the complete opposite. Instead of Gandalf or Dumbledore, he seemed to take after Derek Morgan in Criminal Minds. He was tall and fit with short hair and dark skin.

“I’ve been waiting for you a long time, Emma,” he says by way of greeting in an English accent that had my knees ready to give out.

“Holy shit,” I state breathlessly with a giddy smile,” Merlin’s hot.”

“Thank you, Aveena.” I had to fight the urge to squeal _he knows my name_ to Henry, settling instead with an excited little shuffle of my feet. He turns his gaze to Arthur now, no longer looking so happy. Normally I’d feel bad for the poor fucker that gets on Merlin’s bad side, but Artie boy brought it on himself. “And you—the boy who would be King, my great hope—how you’ve disappointed me.”

“I disappointed _you_ ,” Arthur questions in disbelief,” you gave me false prophecies. Sent me on an impossible quest! You ruined my life!” He went to draw his sword, but Merlin was quicker.

“Put it away, Arthur. We both know that broken sword can’t hurt me.” They share looks, Arthur’s a poisonous glare and Merlin’s one of bored indifference, and it’s Arthur that folds as he slides Excalibur fully in the sheath again.

“This is not finished.”

“Pretty sure it is,” I inform him, skipping up to stand by Merlin,” Merly here can beat your lame ass into the ground without breaking a sweat.” Once Arthur was out of sight, Merlin turns an amused look down at me.

“Please don’t call me that.”

“Sorry, everyone in my merry band of losers had their own embarrassing nickname, you’re gonna be stuck with it.”

**Storybrooke**

“Why aren’t we searching for your Papa,” Nicky asks as he, Micah, and I walk through the crowd at the fair. “I mean, he _is_ the reason you went up against our new Dark One.”

“Yeah, well, Emma must’ve created some sort of barrier because I’ve already tried a tracking spell and all that happened was his favorite suit exploded in my face,” I answer, scratching Pup’s head as he walks beside me. He and Fidget refused to let me leave the apartment alone tonight, so I allowed them to come with me—Fidget tucked safely in my backpack and letting out a contented purr every now and then.

“Maybe we’ll find him soon.”

“Maybe,” I nod, letting my gaze wander until it fixes on a softball toss game. “I bet you five bucks I can win that giant teddy bear.”

“You’re on!”

**Camelot**

Snow and David glow indigo for a moment as Merlin undoes Arthur’s spell on them, waving his arms and wiggling his fingers in such an intricate way that it made me think of a dance. Pan stands beside me, holding my hand as he sends Merlin a jealous look. _Like he has the right to be jealous just because I think a man’s good looking_. “There,” he says as Snow and David return to their normal selves,” that should do it.”

“Emma,” Snow gasps and she and David move to embrace their daughter,” we’re so sorry.”

“If we would’ve known how bad Arthur was, we never would’ve confronted him on our own.”

“You would’ve known he was bad if you’d just listen to me,” I grumble, Pan nodding along in agreement. At this stage, he was still in kiss-ass mode and I wasn’t about to object since it might get me a back massage later on. “Y’all should just be happy Merly here saved your butts.” Merlin grimaces at the nickname, not yet realizing that his reaction is what kept me using it.

“Merly?” David’s eyes land on Merlin and they widen to the size of dinner plates. “As in… _Merlin_?”

“You were expecting someone….” Merlin trails off, allowing David to fill in the blank.

“Older.”

“Yes, well, let’s just say that being a tree—good for your skin.” That’s the understatement of the century.

“Well,” Dad speaks up,” now that the great sorcerer is among us, maybe he’ll tell us. Can you do what you’re apprentice said? Can you free Emma from the Darkness?” Merlin’s expression sobers as he stares at Emma, a small reassuring smile appearing there a moment later.

“Sure.” He allows us a hopeful moment before bursting our bubbles. “But with a caveat.” He moves to stand barely a foot away from Emma, all seriousness again as he studies her with his dark brown eyes. He kind of reminds me of Trista in a way, that comforting nature something very few people possess. “Darkness like this takes a hold of a person, finds its way deep inside, where nobody else can see. So if I am to free you from its grasp, I must know one thing. Emma, is your heart truly ready to be free? Because it is as much up to you as me.”

 _And that’s the million dollar question_.

 


	91. Chapter 91

**Quarkistan—Past**

Mozenrath could feel his strength beginning to dissipate after hard hours playing at a war that he'd helped to start, the rain coming down in sheets that blinded him at times until the lightning flashed overhead and illuminated the lands of Quarkistan as the battle raged on. As he traveled the deserts, Sa'Luk had recruited more degenerates to his side, leaving Mozenrath and Aladdin laughably out-numbered by themselves. Thankfully, the boy-king of this kingdom owed Mozenrath a debt, and gave them temporary control of his soldiers. And now, after hours had passed, Mozenrath was beginning to realize that they might not win after all, that Aladdin was lying to himself all those times he claimed they would rise triumphant. Mozenrath, ever the cynic, always muttered that the Street rat was missing a few brain cells. Unfortunately for both of them, Mozenrath may have been right all along.

He lets out a grunt as he's driven back a few more feet, boots slipping in the wet sand as the ruffian bears down on him, the man's teeth in plain view and covered in rot. "I can pay you," Mozenrath tries for the thousandth time that night," join my side and I can make you richer than you've ever dreamed!"

"I'd rather have my life," the man snarls back, striking out with his sword and forcing Mozenrath to bring his own up to guard his throat. He'd told Aladdin that he would be better with magic, but the Street rat had made him carry a sword into the battle all the same, in case he grew too weak. In that, Aladdin had actually been right because Mozenrath's energy was leaving him in large bursts every time he was forced to defend himself. Sparks flew as Mozenrath pushed back, swords scraping against each other and straining not to break.

"You've just lost the thing you wanted!" And Mozenrath did the trick Aladdin had taught him, he twisted with the hilt, raising the swords above their heads before kicking out to make the man stagger back, then freeing his sword and driving it into the man's belly. It no longer sickened Mozenrath to see fresh blood, it hasn't since he had started making Mamluks of his own accord.

"Watch out," a voice to his left shouts seconds before Mozenrath is kicked into the sand. He hits hard, sliding and rolling with fine grains of sand going in his eyes, nose, and mouth. Sputtering, Mozenrath shakes his head hard and squints up at his newest attacker, finding none other than Sa'Luk, his golden claws glinting in the light of the full moon as it broke through the dark clouds overhead.

There was no way he could defend himself against Sa'Luk's attack, the other man was far too large and Mozenrath was just scrawny. Still, one of Destane's lessons had rung true with Mozenrath, you must be brave in the face of death, don't let your murderer know they scare you. So, standing slowly, Mozenrath raises his pointed chin and locks gazes with the new King of Thieves.

"What are you waiting for?" Sa'Luk hesitated as Mozenrath threw his sword to the ground, spreading his arms wide, though Moze knew the hesitance isn't because Sa'Luk was afraid to do the deed. It didn't stop Mozenrath from taunting the man if only for his own dignity. "Are you craven after all?"

"Your good luck has run out, Moze," Sa'Luk promises. With a growl of rage, the large man lumbers forward only to be thrown to the side when another body collides with his. It was only when they stopped rolling and the other man straddled Sa'Luk that Mozenrath realized who had just saved his life—Aladdin. Unconsciously, Mozenrath holds his breath as Aladdin is dealt a hard punch that knocked him off, Sa'Luk rising to his feet and raising his sword again. But Aladdin wouldn't be taken down by a simple punch, his Street rat jumped to his feet and plunged Cassim's dagger straight through Sa'Luk's opened mouth, the end of the blade appearing out the back of his skull, covered in crimson.

Once Sa'Luk collapsed to the ground, Mozenrath let out the breath and ran over to Aladdin, kneeling beside him as his Street rat fell to his knees. "Why did you do something so stupid? You should've just let him kill me instead of risking your life like that!" Aladdin gives him a wry smile, his face smeared with sand and blood in places, a deep gash above one of his thick black brows.

"Because," he answers in a quiet voice," only I'm allowed to call you Moze." And then Aladdin did something Mozenrath hadn't been expecting, he planted his lips firmly against Moze's and kissed him with everything he had. Moze tensed for a moment before melting into the kiss, not caring that Aladdin tasted of blood or that his silk pants were ruined beyond repair, he only cared that his Street rat was still alive to be kissing him. After a moment, they broke apart and Aladdin cupped his cheek. "Let's finish this quickly." And then he was gone and Mozenrath was left wondering one thing.

When had he started to refer to Aladdin as  _his_ Street rat?

**Camelot**

I follow Merlin into the prison where Lancelot's being held, high-fiving Dad as he joins us since he and David had knocked out the men guarding just inside the door. Merlin uses his magic as another knight rushes us, sending the poor guy into unconsciousness just like all the others. "Not bad for a bloke who spent the last thousand years in a tree," Dad comments.

"Just like riding a bike," Merlin replies, clenching one hand into a loose fist in order to light a fire in all of the grates to provide light and warmth.

"Well, it won't be long before Arthur knows we're here," David informs all of us, moving to walk just ahead of me so that I'm sandwiched between him and Dad. If they wanted to sandwich anyone, then they should do it to Belle since she's the only one here that's not a great fighter where magic is concerned. "How do you know what a bike is?"

"Do you really think all my prophecies came true because of luck? This way."  _What do bikes have to do with his prophecies becoming fulfilled? Great, now I just keep picturing him peddling frantically in order to complete a quest._ He turns down a corridor on our left, holding out a hand after a few feet and gesturing for us to press our backs against the wall moments before a group of knights march down the hall across from us.

"Hey, can you give me the winning lottery numbers," I whisper once the knights have gone.

"Not a chance, Aveena." With a smug grin, he starts walking again and I run after him, trying to keep up with his long-legged strides. It's not fair that I'm the shortest one out of everyone here, my stupid boyfriend included. Pan had insisted that he come along, though I think he was just jealous that Merlin and I had spent his first night as human playing a game of Scrabble. Now, despite Dad's threat of disembowelment, Pan made sure to keep a close eye on me in case I found a new boyfriend or something equally paranoid. We come to a stop outside one of the cells, a big guy in a suit of armor pacing around inside the cell.

"I don't suppose we can pull a Will Turner and lever the door off its hinges, can we?"

"Afraid not, those aren't half-barrel hinges."  _Okay, so he knows about bikes, lottery tickets, and Pirates of the Caribbean—for a guy in his thousandths, he's pretty cool_. As though hearing my thoughts, Pan sends a nasty look in Merlin's direction, though he's stuck behind Belle since none of group—Merlin excluded—wanted Pan anywhere near me.

"Charming," Lancelot asks in confusion.

"It's okay," David assures him," Mary Margaret and I are no longer under Arthur's control."

"How did you break his thrall over you?"

"They didn't, mate," Dad informs him as Merlin steps up for Lancelot to see.

"I did," the sorcerer smiles.

"Merlin," Lancelot says with a smile of his own. Was everyone here BFF's with this guy or something? I mean, for crying out loud, Merlin sure is popular for never creating any miracles this century.

"What about me," a woman asks, stuck in a cell across from Lancelot's. She had bright red hair that stuck out in corkscrew curls all over her head, her dark blue dress torn at her elbows and shoulders, and her pale slim fingers gripping the bars of her cell tightly. "Are you here to free me, too?" It took me a second, but it I recognized her as the chick Emma was trying to kill when we first arrived in Camelot.

"Merida," Dad asks, brows furrowed.

"How'd you end up in there," David adds on in confusion.

"Long story," Merida answers, her gaze flicking between our group and the empty corridor," but after what your daughter did to me, letting me out is the least you can do."

"Aye, she's right," Dad agrees," Em would want us to free her."  _Aww, he has a pet name for my future mom_.

"Indeed," Merlin states, nodding at the cells," but much has changed in the past millennia. These bars are enchanted with magic that I've never encountered before." I move to examine the lock on Lancelot's cell, but find no tumblers inside, only smooth metal. Were they only there for decoration or something?

"Try this," Belle suggests, holding up a large book for Merlin to see. I step back with the others as Belle uses her common sense. She's basically the only one here that has that, though I like to think I have it on rare occasions. Merlin makes a noise of approval, giving my step-mother a grin.

"Aren't you the clever one?"

"Glad someone noticed." Instinctively, I move towards Pan as Merlin stretches out his arms, fingers pointing at both cells, and Pan wraps his arms around me with the fingers of one hand buried in my hair to keep my head pressed against his toned chest. You wouldn't know how strong he was by just looking at him, but pressing against him you were able to feel the hard muscles flexing beneath smooth skin. In a flash of light, the bars disappear and Dad realizes where I'd gone to, literally lifting me off the ground by my upper arms and setting me in front of him. Before he could admonish me, there was a shouted command somewhere in the corridors.

"We'd best get going," he warns, taking one of my hands in his. "You and I are having a long talk later." Merida shouts something, but Dad doesn't stop to listen to her, only urging me further ahead while he drew his sword. The sound of metal against wood was comforting, reminding me of all the times I had taken Excalibur from his sheath to practice with him. "Keep going, Vee, we're almost to the entrance again."

**Storybrooke—Present**

"That's a stupid name," Micah was almost shouting as I entered the theater, he and Nicky sitting in the middle of the stage with a few sheets of paper surrounding them. "If you can't think up something cute that won't get her bullied in school, then stay out of it!" Nicky, looking bored out of his mind, just narrows his dark eyes at his husband. That was a look that meant Micah could be sleeping on my couch for the next week if he didn't back it up and apologize. "I'm sorry, Nicky, but this is important."

"What's important," I ask, throwing my bag up on the stage before climbing up to join the men. Climbing in a mini skirt wasn't easy, but I was having a confident day and I shaved my legs last night, so I might as well show them off. My outfit wasn't complicated like several of Ruby's were, consisting of a pink mini skirt, a blue spaghetti strap with little pink flowers, a black leather jacket to hide my stretch marks, black heels, a flower necklace to match my top, and the bronze ring I've worn ever since we got back. I don't know where it came from or who gave it to me, but I couldn't bring myself to stop wearing it since it was so pretty—with a largish, square-cut topaz stone and the outside of the ring cut to look like curling vines and leaves.

They must not have heard me enter, because they both jumped about twenty feet in the air before facing me, both looking uncharacteristically giddy despite the scare. Nicky gives a little bounce, biting his bottom lip as he turns his gaze to Micah, who was busy grabbing all of the papers and hiding them behind his back before I could glance at them. "Big news," Nicky finally grins.

"Yeah, no, I got that, sweetie."

"Really big news, like, massive, Dingo-ate-my-baby news, Mo." I nod, gesturing for him to keep talking. I was as excited as they were at this point and I'm not even sure what we were all excited about. "Sit down first."

"I am sitting, Nicky."

"Oh yeah, but it's huge news so I don't want you falling over or something." I haven't seen him this happy since he found out the pet store was having a sale and he bought a damn monkey. Micah rolls his eyes, but sends his husband a gentle smile all the same.

"Can I tell her," he asks, raising a brow and waiting for Nicky to nod rapidly. "We're ad—"

"We're adopting a baby girl!" Nicky sends Micah an apologetic look, but continues to talk all the same," and you—"

"You're going to be the godmother." I let out an excited squeal, leaping forward to wrap them both in a tight hug, Nicky and I bouncing as well as we can since we were too lazy to stand up and jump. "As fantastic as it all is, we still haven't decided on a name." I sit back down, but keep tapping my fingers on my leg as a way to focus the sudden burst of energy. "She's a month old, but her birth mother thought it should be up to her parents."

"What are you guys thinking," I ask, knowing how many baby name books Regina had me digging through before she got Henry. That was three weeks filled with bitching that I'll never get back again, but I did get fifty bucks out of the deal.

"I like Aalia," Nicky shrugs," it means exalted or noble, and it's from mine and Micah's culture."

"No, honey, that's a terrible name. What about you, Micah?" Micah had gone quiet, still smiling a little, though it was a sad one. It was the same smile Dad got whenever he spoke about what our lives might have been like if Mom were still alive or even when he spoke of Milah. After a moment of staring at the stage, Micah reaches out to take Nicky's hand and finally meets his gaze, and then he says a name that had Nicky giving him the same smile.

"I was thinking we could name her Jasmina."


	92. Chapter 92

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OUTFITS:  
> http://www.polyvore.com/c92/set?id=182363518  
> http://www.polyvore.com/wedding_chapter/set?id=182240552

**Camelot**

"What do you mean you're still dating Whale?"

"I said technically," I remark, shrugging my shoulders,"  _technically_ I'm still dating Whale since we never officially broke up, but I'm pretty sure that's done since the old Author told me that you and I were each other's true love right in front of the poor guy."

"You knew we were each other's true love and you never thought to mention it until now?"

"You're the one that ran off and got a girlfriend."

"You had a boyfriend first!"

"It was  _Whale_  for God's sake, I mean, how are you not a little gay for that man?"

"Enough," Dad shouts, stopping and turning to face where Pan and I were bickering. "You've been having the same bloody argument for the past thirty minutes!" He looked like someone had just shoved his grandma into traffic, but that could just be from Pan hanging around me in general. "Now, you two aren't to speak to each other until we return to Granny's!" Pan makes a face, but wisely keeps his mouth shut as Dad pulls me up to the front with him and the others.

"Really," David asks as we start to walk again. "I thought you and Pan were finished."

"They are."

"Doesn't sound like they are." David looked more amused than anything, but Dad looked as though he were about to Hulk out and rip Pan's head from his shoulders. "Just relax, if I let my daughter date a no good pirate, then you can let your daughter date a boy with hardly any magical powers."

"He ripped her heart out back in Storybrooke, so I'm not allowing the relationship."

"He did what?" David turns a furious glare on Pan, lunging at him until Merlin drew him back to the front using his magic. "Morgan, why can't you pick a boyfriend that isn't a homicidal maniac?"

"Where's the fun in that," I mutter, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my shorts. It wasn't as cold here as it is back in Maine, so I was able to wear short shorts without using magic to keep me warm. My outfit tonight was different than most of the ones I've worn in Camelot—shorts, a gray tee that had 'Ditched the boyfriend, kept the T-shirt' printed on it in black, a black leather wrap bracelet with small, fake, diamonds, and simple black tennis shoes.

"Aveena Jones," Dad says in a warning tone," don't start with me tonight."

**Storybrooke—Present**

I sing softly to myself as I move around the shop, trying to clean it up a little since Papa may return at any time should he escape. As it is, Belle has been sorting through objects, but seemed to make more of a mess than there was before, so I was going through and putting everything back in their proper places. "….And we'll sing and we'll dance and bid farewell to France…" The jingling bell above the door makes me pause, still holding some knight's sword. It could be anyone or it could be that redhead come to drag my ass back to Emma's not-so-secret lair. Gripping the sword tighter, I start towards the front. "It's row, me bully boys, we're in a hurry boys, so row, me bully boys row." The sight waiting for me had the sword clattering to the floor and me running forward to embrace the person that had stumbled in with Belle's help.

"I never should have let you watch that Robin Hood movie," Papa laughs as we both fall to the floor, hugging each other tightly and almost ready to cry. "Oh, my sweet little bird, I was so worried."

"I'm fine, Papa," I assure him, only hugging him tighter. "I was worried about you, there was some spell that kept me from finding you."

"Is there a reason besides Morgan that we came here," Belle asks, moving to grab his old cane before kneeling on the ground next to us. Seconds after she's on the floor, an arrow crashes through the window set into the door, burying itself in the wood of the wall a few feet away.

"Oh, that's so not good." The door slams open to allow a red-headed woman inside, her corkscrew curls as wild as the look in her eyes. It was Merida, Emma Swan's newest prisoner, and she didn't look like she was here to have some tea.

"I told the Dark One you wouldn't be daft enough to seek shelter in your own shop, but she said you wouldn't be able to resist the pull of your magic," Merida states as all of us shuffle back with me sandwiched between Papa and Belle.

"Merida," Papa implores, voice shaking," y-you don't have to do this." All of us manage to get to our feet, Papa leaning heavily on his can as I move to the front despite him and Belle tugging on the sleeve of my sweater. Someone had to protect us and it might as well be me.

"No, I tried to fight it, but I couldn't. So now Belle's fate rests in your hands, your daughter's as well since I was ordered to bring her back to the Dark One." She notches another arrow as I readied myself to throw a fireball at her head, but before I got the chance, Belle had a handful of the back of my shirt and was hauling me backwards into the backroom. An arrow shoots halfway through the door I'm leaning against right as Belle shuts it, the sharp tip inches from both of our heads.

"Christ, work on your aim," I shout through the door, hands shaking. I look at the other two, speaking quietly enough to ensure Merida doesn't hear me. "She doesn't look much older than me, so how is she so good with a bow?"

"Practice," Papa mutters as Merida throws herself against the doors. "Move over there." He nudges Belle forward, grabbing my hand to drag me along with them over behind a desk, crouching on the floor as the doors burst open.  _I wonder if she has something against doors since she keeps opening them so violently_. I close my eyes, resting my head against Papa's shoulder.  _I don't want to die yet, not until I look like a raisin and can't get out of bed!_  The sound of shattering glass has me moving backwards before opening my eyes again, the mirror directly in front of us shattered and Merida standing beside it with another arrow at the ready.

"Stop me," she pleads," you coward. Be the hero we all need."

"I can't. I'm sorry."

"No, I am…. For what I'm about to do." I raise my hand as she draws the string back, a strong burst of my magic tossing her backwards with enough force that she becomes dazed when she hits the floor.

"Did you see that," I ask breathlessly, smiling even as I'm ushered to my feet," I'm back, baby!"

"That's fantastic, Morgan," Belle congratulates as we move back to the front of the shop," but she's not gonna stay like that for long." I nod, starting for the door and taking a peek outside to see if Emma was waiting for us. "What's that?" I don't turn yet, searching out for the feel of Emma's magic and not finding it.  _She's not haunting our doorstep at the moment, but that may not last long_.

"We may not outrun her arrows," Papa explains," but there's somewhere where this can keep us safe." I look over my shoulder at them as they walk towards me, the tan pouch in Papa's hand causing some concern. It was locked in his safe for a reason and I'm not sure I want to know what that reason is. "Come on, little bird, get to the car." I obey without question, not wanting to upset him further if he has a plan to save our asses. I'd rather not be held hostage by another Dark One, thanks very much. We ride in silence for a while, all of us too on edge to make small talk let alone keep up normal conversation.  _Yeah, we have a heartless puppet trying to shoot an arrow through our heads, but isn't the weather great?_ That just didn't work. I pull out my phone to send a text to the others and let them know what was going down, but there was no signal.

"Where are we going," Belle asks after a few moments more.

"The only place all of us will be safe from Emma and our quivered friend," Papa answers. And I have a good idea of what he means when a familiar wold statue rises up ahead of us on the side of the road.  _The town line, end of the road, I don't wanna be a tree like Dopey_.

"Papa—"

"It'll be okay, Morgan." He holds up the pouch from his safe, barely illuminated as the headlights bounce off the asphalt and shine back into the car. "This is anti-transformation powder—this will keep us safe from any ill-effects from crossing the town line. You don't have to be part of that violence any more, either of you."

"Well, when you put it that way," I grumble sarcastically.

"No, we can't leave," Belle asserts," not while there are still people we care about in this town. You can't just take Morgan away from Killian when they're finally getting along."

"Belle, I used to be the Dark One and I know Emma better than she knows herself. She will keep coming till she gets what she wants and I won't have her torturing my daughter."

"Then let's stop her together!"

"Didn't you see what happened back there?"

"Yeah," I nod," I knocked Merida on her ass with my fully-returned powers and I'll do the same thing to Emma before I drain her magic! You  _know_  I can do it, Papa, so let me."

"No, I can't protect you this time, Morgan."

"So let me protect you this time." I rest my hands on the front seat, giving him my puppy-dog eyes in the rearview mirror. "Papa, me and Belle are stronger than you think. I've seen her punch a Dwarf when he got too handsy and she knocked him flat out! Just let us do this."

"No." He shakes his head stubbornly and I'm left wondering how I never noticed the few behaviors I share with him. "I'm not letting you go back there!"

"Rumple, stop the car," Belle demands, as stubborn as the rest of us and twice as brave. When Papa just shakes his head, she reaches for her door handle, forcing him to slam on his breaks or let her jump out of a moving car. He does the former, making the tires squeal and me go backwards hard enough to make me see stars when my head collides with the back seat.

"Fuck me," I mumble to myself, blinking a few times in an attempt to stop seeing double while Belle and Papa vacate the car.

"You're not going to jump out too, are you," Papa asks when he gets back in the car and starts it a few minutes later after a shouting match. I let out a soft moan, closing my eyes and fighting back a wave of nausea.  _Stress and head injuries certainly don't go hand in hand, let me tell ya_. "I'll just take that as a no, then."

"You do that, I'm just gonna lie down." I curl up in the back, clutching my head with both hands as it starts to ache. We idle for a moment before I feel the car moving again, going forward a few feet before it began to turn. Despite the aching, a smile forms on my lips when I connect the dots.  _He's a hero_. Before I was completely ready, the car came to a stop again and Papa's door was opening.

"Stay in the car, I'm going after Belle." With a grunt, I sit up slowly and watch as he hobbles across the road and into the thick woods. I give him a good ten minutes before I close my eyes and focus on him, appearing right beside him a moment later. "Why do I even bother telling you what to do?"

"I was hoping you'd have that answer." I shrug as we start moving again, following a trail of crushed foliage and the roaring of a bear. It leads us to the obvious, a bear the size of a Buick and Belle somewhere in front of it, shouting for Merida not to hurt her.

"I need its attention, find a rock to throw."

"Hey, butt ugly," I shout instead, cupping my hands around my mouth to amplify the sound. The bear, apparently Merida, turns with a growl, beady eyes landing on me. "I really hope you have a plan, Papa."

"Hakuna Matata, sweetheart."

"Yeah, but I have a lot of worries right now!"

"She'll kill you both," Belle screams," get Morgan out of here!"

"No, Belle," Papa shouts back as we move closer to her and the giant bear," I'm not running this time." He sends me a look, silently telling me to run while I send one back that said there wasn't a chance in hell. He rolls his eyes, lightly tapping my ankle with his cane. The bear decides we're close enough, because it swipes a massive paw at us, a claw tearing a hole in my favorite sweater and its paw sending Papa flying to the side.

"Rumple, Morgan!" I don't move, too scared to do much of anything aside from trying to remember show to make a bear run away.  _Were you supposed to climb a tree or stand really still? Could they still see you if you don't move? Of course they can, you idiot, it's a bear not a T-Rex!_ Papa's marginally calmer than I am as Merida looms over him, her breath coming out in a puff of fog.

"Do your worst." I cover my mouth with my hands, taking a stumbling step back in terror as I watch the scene unfold. Merida looked ready to maul Papa, standing straight up on her hind legs and roaring loudly. The second her mouth opened, Papa threw the pouch and grinned as it landed in her opened mouth. A thick tan smoke swirls around the bear, the magic weak compared to most things Papa owned, but it seemed to do the trick because the human version of Merida was writhing in pain on the ground once it dissipated. As Belle runs to Papa's side, I allow myself to drop to the damp ground, legs feeling like rubber.

"How did you know that would transform her back?"

"I didn't."

"What do you mean you didn't know," I shout from my spot on the ground, sending him a nasty glare. "You could have been Kibbles N' Bits just then!" Papa lets out a small noise of amusement, giving me a relieved smile.

"I did tell you to stay in the car."

"You also told me not to worry!"

"Who cares," Belle laughs, interrupting our little spat. "I knew our Rumple had it in him all along."

"Well, so did I, but you didn't see me trying to jump out of a moving car." I roll my eyes, falling all the way back and staring up at the stars through a canopy of leaves. I let them have their moment, purposely keeping my eyes on the sky until I just couldn't take it anymore and I sit up to glare at both of them. "Would you just kiss the man? I think he deserves it at this point." I hear laughs as I stand and leave them in the clearing, wanting to just curl up in my own bed. "I'm surrounded by sexually frustrated idiots, I swear to God."

**Camelot**

"Do you love me, Morgan," Pan asks quietly, playing with my hair as we lie in his bed. I look up at him with my brows furrowed as he continues to stare up at the canopy over his bed, wondering what thoughts were tumbling around in that head of his. He was always thinking ahead, of the future he wanted, and he rarely ever shared the thoughts with anyone.

"You know I do." Even when I didn't want to, I still found myself falling head over heels in love with my psychopath.

"I want to get married." I sit up quickly, loose hair falling over my shoulders as I stare down at Pan in shock. He only moves the hand that had been playing with my hair, reaching out to draw patterns on my hand with his fingers. "I'm tired of worrying that you'll find someone better than me, of the jealousy we both feel when we see each other with different people." His green eyes lock on my blue ones, holding an emotion he'd always hidden so well—love.

"Alright," I say after a moment, nodding my head as I think through everything we'll need and how long it would take to get everything ready. "When do you want to do it?"

"Right now." I could feel his magic swirling around us, transporting us deep in the woods where a few torches were stuck in the ground to give light, a priest standing a few feet in front of us dressed in white robes. Instead of my nightgown, I was dressed in a strapless white wedding gown that hugged my body tightly until my waist, where it flared out slightly and trailed behind me; my arms were covered in fingerless, white lace gloves that tapered to a point before it reached my fingers, fingers which were now wrapped around a bouquet of blue flowers. I free one hand to touch my hair, finding the sides of it pulled back while the rest fell in loose curls down my back, and a circlet was perched on my head, the feeling of cold diamonds under my fingers making me gasp. There were dangly, diamond earrings in my ears as well as a string of pearls around my throat.

"Who would like to give their vows first," the priest asks with a kind smile.

"I will." Pan faces me, dressed in a fine suit from the land without magic, the black of it making his dirty blonde hair look like pale gold. "Morgan Elizabeth Gold, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else in our lives. You were the only person that's ever remained loyal to me even though you knew every atrocious thing I've ever done—including murdering you ex-boyfriend in front of you. Sorry about that, by the way." I let out a soft laugh at that, smiling up at him. "I just want you to know that I'll love you every day that I live, you're the moon of my life." I take one of his hands in mine as I start, winging the whole thing and hoping like hell it's not too cheesy.

"Peter Pan, you can be a stubborn asshole at the best of times, but I've found it impossible to love anyone else the way I love you. I've wanted to hate you at times, I've wanted hit you and hurt you, but in the end I always end up wanting to be in your arms. You make me feel safe by just hugging me, make me feel like the prettiest woman in the world whenever you look at me or tuck some of my hair behind my ear. My point is, your megalomaniac disposition aside, you're probably the best boyfriend I've ever had and I can't wait to call you my husband. You're my sun and stars no matter what anyone else says."

I free my hand to summon a ring, a simple band of silver with flowers etched into the outside so detailed that they almost looked real. I slide the ring on his finger, my hands almost shaking too bad from nerves to get it right. Pan does the same, pulling a ring out of the pocket of his suit jacket to slide on my finger. The band of it looked like it was made of bronze with curling vines and leaves etched into the outside of it, the stone being a square-cut topaz a little bigger than my pinky nail.

"It was my mother's," he tells me quietly," she gave it to me before she died and told me to give it to the love of my life." Not wanting to be the type of girl that cries at a wedding—my own or otherwise—I hand the flowers off to the priest and pull Pan in for a kiss while the priest does his blessing. The feel of Pan's lips on mine had me forgetting everything that was happening, the stress melting away as I focused on putting as much love as I can into the kiss.

"I love you, Peter."

**Storybrooke**

"I heard you took down an angry bear," Whale quips as he sets down across from me at a table in Granny's. "I won't have to call you Superwoman, will I?"

"Not yet," I grin," not until I can stop a speeding bullet."

"Do me a favor and don't try that until I'm off duty." He laughs, stealing my cup of coffee so he could get a drink. We weren't dating anymore, but we had too much in common not to be friends. He claimed we were the Sass Masters of Storybrooke and I just rolled with it. "What, no comment about my hair? Ever since I dyed it, I've been stopped every five feet to listen to criticism." Instead of the blonde it used to be, he'd had it dyed white, but I thought it suited him.

"I like it."

"At least one other citizen in this town has some common sense."

"It makes me think of zombies for some reason, actually."

"Maybe I was wrong after all." I smile again, taking my cup back from him just for the warmth of it. I was heading over to the hospital after I finish my coffee to help out healing a few kids in the Pediatric Ward, little Jasmina included; she was a few weeks premature and was having trouble breathing. "Morgan, did you get married when you were gone?" I stare down at the ring on my finger, setting my cup down to rub the topaz stone set into it with a finger.

"Of course not."


	93. Chapter 93

I look up from the ground when an enraged-looking Bridget stalks over to me, her delicate hands clenched into fists and a scowl marring her pretty features. "Sorry, sweetie, I'm not the person to talk to if you have some kind of disease," I tell her, standing from the low tree branch and beginning to walk.

"I've come to make you stay away from Peter," she shoots back, stepping in front of me and making me stop. "I challenge you to a duel, if you win then you can have Peter for yourself."

"First off, he's not an object for you to own and even if he was-" I hold up my left hand to let her see the ring. "-we're married, so you should fuck off before you get hurt." I try to move around her, but she stays in my way, determined set to her jaw. "You really don't want to do this, Bridget."

"You don't want to fight because you know I'll win."

"You're not gonna let me past until I accept your challenge, are you?" She brings her fists up and gets in a fighting stance, looking like she's done this before. "Okay, well, I tried to be polite, so no one can jump me for this." She looked confused for a moment before I deliver a hard kick to her midsection, knocking her back and making her drop her arms so that my fist could connect with the right side of her face. Bridget goes down, unconscious now, and I feel infinitely less stressed. Fighting was something I'm good at since high school was full of asshole kids that tried to bully me because of who my papa was.

"I hope you feel better," Pan smiles as he joins me, mostly ignoring Bridget's body.

"So much better." Holding hands, we step over Bridget and start for Granny's where Merlin had called a meeting. We were supposed to be deciding how to get the Darkness out of Emma without it latching onto someone else, but who knew how it would go when Dad catches sight of my new accessory. "When are we gonna make the announcement."

"Not until Hook stops looking at me like he's going to smother me in my sleep."

"So never?"

"Never sounds good, I like never." I roll my eyes, letting go of his hand as we walk into the diner, finding most of our group already assembled there. Dad looks our way when we walk in, the dark expression on his face when he catches sight of Pan standing so close to me making me realize Pan may just be right in keeping our marriage secret for as long as possible. No need for the unnecessary murder of my husband if I can help it. Upon seeing Dad's look, Pan sprints across the diner and takes a seat behind Merlin, counting on the sorcerer to keep him safe while I'm tugged onto a stool beside Dad.

"What were you and Pan doing walking together," Dad demands.

"Nothing, I ran into her after she knocked Bridget unconscious." Pan managed to remain calm through it all, but I could see panic beginning to build in his gaze.

"He's telling the truth," I add," I didn't meet up with him until he asked me if I felt any better."  _Not technically a lie unless you count the fact that we slept in the same bed last night_. "So, what'd we miss while I was relieving some stress?"

"Merlin was just telling us that we need to get the two blades," Regina answers.

"Actually, I want Aveena to come with me and Emma. We might need her extra magic," Merlin explains once my Dad's eyes land on him. He clears his throat, looking everywhere, but at Dad. "All I can ask is that you bring me that sword and that you have patience with Emma." Dad scowls darkly, but relaxes a bit when I lay a hand on his arm. "Her kind of power, for good or evil—it is a weight on the soul. And love is a great help, if you can find it." As he said the last words, his gaze flickers between Belle and me.  _He means Papa could've been a lot worse if not for us_. "I'll go and tell Emma."

"Is it just me or does he look uncertain about all of this," Pan questions once Merlin was outside. "Because I'd say he was uncertain."

"Shut up, Pan," Dad snaps irritably, standing up fully to tower over him. "If we want your opinion, then we'll ask for it."

"The same could be said about you, Hook."  _Here we go_. Pan was standing as well, going nose for nose against Dad, Pan only a few inches shorter than him. "At least I'm trying to contribute, but all you're doing is moping."

"And what are you doing to contribute besides ogling my daughter?" Dad raised his voice, almost to the point of shouting, with his good hand clenched into a fist.

"At least I'm paying some attention to her and what she's going through! I bet you didn't even know that she almost died before we came to Camelot since you were so focused on Emma." Dad takes an unsteady step back, looking as though someone had just struck him. "She's just now getting her full strength back, but she wanted to please you so badly that she kept using her magic to prove her worth to you, Hook! Perhaps if you paid more attention to the only person here that loves you unconditionally, you'd see the hoops she's been jumping through!"

"That enough," I shout back at him, standing up and moving to Dad's side. "You know damn well that I've been using my strength to help because I wanted to and don't you  _dare_ try to guilt trip my father just because you're too much of a coward to tell him!"

"Tell me what," Dad basically growls, blue eyes trained on Pan. "What the hell did you do to her?"

"How about we all just calm down," David suggests as he and Robin get to their feet, moving a little closer to Dad. Pan would be easily restrained, but Dad would take all their power if he really found out what happened. "We're all stressed and it's not making us any friendlier."

"Morgan and I got married last night," Pan blurts out. All was calm for a second, everyone too shocked to react, but Dad came back to his senses first and moved to strangle him, but the men grabbed him before he had the chance.

"Let me go," he roars," I'm going to gut the bastard!" Despite the immediate danger, Pan looked satisfied and was even bold enough to wrap his arm around my waist. "Get your filthy hands off of my baby!" As a string of curses was leaving Dad's mouth, Merlin walked back inside and had to do a double-take of the situation before running to intervene.

"Killian," he shouts to be heard over Dad's foul language," Killian, Emma needs to see you! Go to her and calm down!" It took a few more tries, but the men eventually got Dad out the door and locked it behind him to ensure Pan's safety for a little while longer. Merlin turns on Pan then, brown eyes holding exasperation. "Pan, have you completely lost your mind? No, don't answer that." Pan makes a disgruntled noise, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"You married  _that_ ," Regina finally comments, sneering at Pan.

"It seemed like a sensible thing to do last night," I affirm with a nod. "We weren't drunk and we were literally made for each other, as the Author pointed out, so we might as well tie the knot."

"Oh," Belle winces," you'll be the one explaining this to Rumple." I pale at that, suddenly feeling woozy at the prospect of revealing to Papa the fact that I married the guy that used to be his best friend.  _Welcome back to consciousness, would you like something to eat? The weather's great outside, we gained Merlin as an ally, I married Pan, and Pup found a new friend_. I have a bad feeling that I won't make it to the news about Pup before Papa kills me, then Pan, and then me again for good measure.

"Aveena, you should say your goodbyes," Merlin announces solemnly. I nod to show I understood before I faced Pan again, hugging him tightly and worrying about what would happen after I left. Sure, I could be killed by a rampaging Dark One, but Pan could be killed by my father, so we might just be screwed either way.

"Stay safe," Pan whispers, lips brushing lightly against my ear.

"You too," I return, turning my head so I could capture those soft lips in a kiss that would rival Buttercup and Westley's. "I love you."

"And I you, my darling." After a moment, Pan raises his head to meet Merlin's gaze. "You bring my wife back to me safely or don't come back at all, Sorcerer."

"I'll do my best," Merlin offers, holding open the door for me. With one last look at the group that's become my family, I walk out the door with Merlin following behind me. "Your father will be walking this way, I'll give you both a moment, but I need you to meet me and Emma by the well quickly."

"I will," I promise, watching as he uses his magic to poof him away seconds before Dad rounds the corner. "It's time for me to leave." I had expected him to grow angry all over again, to scream or even shake me like Papa would have before he gained control of himself, but all Dad did was pull me into a bone-crushing hug. I return it with everything I have, feeling tears stinging my eyes as I let out a relieved sigh. "I thought you would be angry."

"No, no, sweet girl," he assures me in a gentle tone," I could never stay angry at you. You only did what I would have done in your situation."

"I'm scared, Daddy." If possible, he hugs me even tighter and I can feel the wetness of his tears as they hit the top of my head where his cheek was resting.

"You're still wearing that necklace I gave you?"

"Yeah."

"Then you'll come back to me, Aveena. Think of it as a good luck charm from your mother."

"What about you? What good luck charm do you have?"

"I have you. I love you so much, Aveena."

"I love you, too." Remembering Merlin's words about hurrying, I reluctantly pull back and wipe the tears away. "I'll see you after we get whatever it is we're after—alive and hopefully in one piece." Dad lets out a short bark of laughter, ruffling my hair and walking back into the diner with the others. Taking a few deep breaths to compose myself, I raise my chin just a little higher and walk towards the well. Merlin and Emma were both waiting patiently as I come into view, Emma looking beyond nervous while Merlin looked resolved about something.

Unlike Emma, I was smartly dressed in an oversized black sweater that had 'Normal People Scare Me' printed on it, a pair of jeans, ankle boots that had a thick heel, and a Little Mermaid hair bow to keep the sides of my hair pinned out of my face. "What did you do to have Killian making his angry face," Emma asks as I join them.

"My dad gets angry and you automatically think it was my fault?" She raises a brow and gives me that stare all moms have mastered— _Spill it and I won't ground you for a month_. "Alright, so this time it was my fault. I kind of, sort of…Uh, I wasn't drunk or high, or anything."

"She and Pan were married last night," Merlin interjects easily, ignoring the look of betrayal I send his way.

"I thought you were on my side."

"This coming from the woman that calls me  _Merly_."

"Fair enough."

"You got married and you didn't think Killian would overreact," Emma asks loudly, shaking her head. "What, did Gold drop you on your head as a baby?" This time I'm the one giving her a look that I had mastered by age three, the one that said  _I can argue a lot longer than you can, so you might as well quit now_. It had the same effect on Emma as it had on Papa, she closed her mouth and let out a loud groan. She even looked up at the sky like Papa used to, like she thought it might hold the key to winning the argument.

"So, are we going on an adventure or nah?"

**Storybrooke**

Pan closed his eyes as he and Bridget stood in the doorway of Whale's sitting room, the soft sound of the piano accompanied by Morgan's bold voice as she sung the lyrics left him aching inside. He longed to hear her singing to him again instead of to the Doctor she was so fond of. He wondered if they were still dating, but decided they weren't by the way she wasn't seated as close to him as she would have been otherwise. Bridget couldn't sing if her life depended on it, though she kept insisting that she could when they first got together.

What started out as an attempt to make Morgan jealous had quickly evolved into a big mistake since Bridget was extremely clingy and obsessive. Now they were here, Bridget dragging him inside after viewing Morgan walking through the doorway—Bridget wanted to tell Morgan to stay away from Pan once and for all. Of course, Pan knew Morgan could hold her own, but it didn't stop him from fearing what Bridget might do.

" _…And you won't bring me down. Unlimited, my future is unlimited and I've just had a vision almost like a prophecy. I know it sound truly crazy and true the vision's hazy, but I swear someday I'll be flying so high!_ " Her voice was high and sweet as she sang, sending a shudder through him as he remembered the sounds she made when they spent the day in Gold's cabin. " _Kiss me goodbye! So if you care to find me, look to the western sky-"_

"Excuse me," Bridget interrupts loudly and Pan could have killed her for it. Morgan cuts off abruptly, her and Whale turning to stare at them with unconcealed distaste. "I know what you're planning, Miss Jones."

"What the hell are you doing in my house," Whale demands, standing from the piano bench and squaring his shoulders. Morgan just turned all the way around, her legs crossed at the ankles and swinging slightly, the heels of her boots lightly scraping against the hardwood floor.

"I'm here to tell Jones that she's not as clever as she likes to think."

"It's alright, Victor," Morgan tells him with a smile, touching his arm. Pan felt his jealousy surge at that simple contact, but he bit back the scathing remark he had for the Doctor. "Let the Loony Tune talk." Bridget's face reddens at the insult, though Pan doubted she knew what it meant.

"Peter is  _mine_ now, we're going to be married and you're going to keep your whore nose out of our business." Pan flinches, sending Bridget a look that suggested she was completely insane, which she was. He had no intention of marrying her and he would soon dump her for a much less psychotic woman he could use. Morgan goes stiff before relaxing entirely, the only sign that she was offended by Bridget's words.

"That's not a problem, Bridget." She stood from the bench, looking as calm as ever to anyone who didn't know her well, but Pan could see the anger burning in her bright blue eyes. If they left now, Bridget might make it out of this conversation with only a bruised ego. "I have no interest in Pan."

"Come on, Peter, let her enjoy her lover." Bridget turned and cupped Pan's cheek with one of her small hands. "After all, a pirate's bastard needs all the help she can get."  _She's in trouble now_. Pan took a step back as Morgan moved across the room in a few quick strides, her fist connecting with Bridget's cheek with enough force to send her falling backwards against the wall.

 _It was amazing how someone so small could look so large when they were angry_ , Pan thought as he watched the scene unfold. Bridget had barely straightened back up when Morgan's booted foot hit her in the stomach, making her double over, which made it easier for Morgan to grab a handful of her hair to hold her head still so she could bring her knee up sharply into Bridget's face.

"Shouldn't you be protecting your girlfriend," Whale asks, not moving to interrupt.

"I was going to dump her anyway," Pan replies," let Morgan relieve some of her anger." Bridget was barely conscious as she stood up, hunched a little with blood pooling on the floor from her broken nose.

"Don't you  _ever_ ," Morgan says in a dangerously quiet tone," call me a bastard again." And she let go of the tight hold she had on Bridget's neck, the other girl crumbling to the ground as Morgan wipes the blood off her hands and seats herself back at the piano bench. Sighing, Pan moves to pull Bridget up over his shoulder.

"I'll shut the door on my way out."


	94. Chapter 94

**Pan—Camelot**

"What's our plan anyway," Snow asks as the remaining members of the group huddle around a table in Granny's. Pan made sure to stay slightly apart from the group, leaning against the bar near where the Wicked Bitch—er, Zelena—was lying on with her hands on her stomach. Pan wasn't stupid, he knew he didn't have all of his magic back and Hook was dying to run a sword through him.

"We take them by surprise and go in through the front gate," David suggests, making Zelena thump the palm of her hand against her forehead before sitting up. Pan agreed with the bitch, that plan was as smart as handing a psychopath a loaded gun and telling him to have at it.

"Well, after our jailbreak, they'll be on high alert," Hook reminds the prince," we need a diversion at the drawbridge. I volunteer Pan for the job of getting attacked by angry guards." Pan rolls his eyes, having known something like that would be coming. He understood why Hook was angry, Pan did marry his only daughter without permission, but can't the pirate get over it already? "The rest of us can climb the wall on the side."

"I'd rather like a plan that didn't end in my death," Pan speaks up, waving his arm slightly to get their attention.

"You don't get a vote, now sit down and shut up." Pan makes a noise of annoyance, but doesn't say anything, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why can't I just poof us into Arthur's bedroom," Regina asks, looking at Hook and David like they're new specimens of stupid she's just discovered. Or maybe that was just Pan projecting his thoughts on her face? Zelena's the one to make a noise now, making a  _pfft_  sound to show what she thought of her sister's idea. " _What_?" Zelena raises her hands towards her throat, giving Regina a  _duh_  look. "Well, if you're going to make a scene, you might as well make noise."  _How come the green bean casserole over here gets to speak, but I don't?_

"Thank you," Zelena smiles, already tap dancing on Pan's fragile nerves," I do love hearing a sensible person talk."

"Then maybe you should shut up so you can hear me better," Pan snaps, deciding to take his chances over by Robin.

"Quiet, Pan, the adults are speaking." Using his magic, Pan makes the napkin dispenser on the table fly at Zelena's fat head, narrowly missing when the redhead ducks out of the way. She glares at him, but continues speaking anyway. "Going in the front would be suicide, the diversion would only serve to make Arthur hide the sword, and you could poof right in front of a blade—oopsie! You need to sneak in so quietly no one knows you're there."

"How," David inquires, looking truly curious. Pan was just curious about why these idiots would even think about trusting Zelena when all she's done is double-cross them in the past. Granted, Pan did the same, but at least he's trying to redeem himself for Morgan's sake. "Hang glider? Oh, giant slingshot?" Now there was the David Nolan Pan could stand.

"If Sir-castic would let me speak, I'd tell you that I wasn't idle during those days in there, playing mute handmaiden at Regina's side.  _I_ was plotting an escape."

"I knew it," Regina states.

"And  _I_  found a way out. And if I know a way out, I know a way in."

" _You're_  going to help us?"  _Yeah, and Ash would just hand Pikachu over to Team Rocket_.

"Of course." Zelena raises her left arm, pulling the sleeve of her dress down to reveal the magic-proof cuff clasped around her wrist. "Because you're going to help me. I want my magic back."

* * *

Zelena leads the way across the palace grounds, yammering away about how she deserves our trust after everything we've done to her until we finally reach the place she told us about back at Granny's—a tunnel built into the outer wall surrounding the palace with a secured metal grate barring anyone from entering it. "It's a tunnel," she reiterates," abandoned for years. It will take you to the courtyard." Hook's the first to speak up.

"Well, if it's so good, why didn't you escape through it?"

"Observe the massive metal grate. See, without magic, I'm a delicate thing." Pan snorts at that, moving to stand near David so he could see in the tunnel.

"Well," David sighs," it leads in the right direction. Looks like your information is good, at least this far."

" _This far_ ," Pan remarks," being the operative words. I say we make her be the first one through the tunnel in case guards are waiting to surprise us on the other end."

"Now that's just insulting," Zelena frowns.

"No, insulting would be me telling you what I really think, but I don't want to deal with you wailing in anguish."

"That's enough," Regina interrupts, putting a hand over Zelena's mouth when she'd opened it with a response," let's get the sword." Sending Zelena a pointed look, she adds," Mary Margaret, you're on guard duty."  _That's not going to end well_. Still, Pan stayed quiet and watched as Regina used her magic to disintegrate the iron bars before following everyone else down the dark tunnel.

**Morgan—Camelot**

"When I was seeing Rumpelstiltskin in my head," Emma explains," he said he would only be with me until I embraced my dark powers, so recently, I've been thinking maybe not seeing him, maybe that's a bad thing."  _It's funny that she's been seeing Papa as her Dark One conscious while Papa saw someone in a golden mask_.

"Have you embraced your powers," Merlin asks, all of us coming to a stop so he could look Emma in the eyes.

"I've done some dark things recently."

"Who hasn't," I comment, kicking at a nearby pebble and watching it as it skids along the path. "At least you haven't killed anyone in the past few weeks."  _Cruella had it coming, if I didn't do it, then she would have hurt my nephew_. "You're new at this whole resisting evil thing, it's only natural that you screw up a couple of times."

"But I hurt someone," she continues, looking down at her feet," my son." My head snaps up at that, automatically recalling how heartbroken Henry was after his ruined date. What did Emma do that would cause Violet to hurt Henry so badly? "And if I dig deep down the Darkness is winning. But there's hope, right?" She turns to Merlin for answers and I notice the way his dark eyes darken further in pain and grief. "You wouldn't be bothering to get this spark if there wasn't still hope."

"There is hope," he says with a gentle smile," and it's up there." I follow his gaze up a steep hill, really regretting my choice in shoes—the heels were thick, but I would rather be wearing sneakers.

"That's a whole lot of up."

"We can make it."

"And I'm a whole lot of lazy," I add on, already feeling tired. I just want to lie down, watch some Netflix, and stuff my face with Oreos; is that too much to ask? Merlin takes my hand and gives it an encouraging squeeze, nodding towards the hill.

"I'll help you up if you help me down."  _Don't let Emma give in or we're all majorly fucked_. His meaning was clear and I wasn't sure if I had the strength to take on a fledgling Dark One that's juiced up on old Dark One powers.

"I'll do my best, Merly."

**Pan—Camelot**

The tunnel ends inside the courtyard like Zelena said and it offered a view of soldiers running this way and that, trying to get everything prepared in case the group came close to the parapets. "You suppose that's for us," Robin asks, eyes locked on a steel gray cauldron that stunk of dark magic. Pan wondered what was inside that caused fog to spill over the edge, but he knew he would only find out if it was dumped on him and he really didn't need that.

"I have a feeling we don't want to find out," Regina points out. Pan lets out a quiet breath, back pressed against the damp wall between Micah and Nicky. The pair of them were his unspoken guards, making sure he didn't double cross anyone at the same time as they tried to keep him relatively unhurt for Morgan's sake.

"Come on," Hook commands," let's keep moving." Pan moves swiftly with the others, suddenly thankful of the years he spent as a common thief for keeping him light on his feet. He could move almost silently if he wanted to and had a knack for blending in, so he wasn't too worried about what would happen if they were caught by the soldiers swarming around.

**Morgan—Camelot**

At the top of the hill is a crumbling wall covering in green moss and partially buried after years of storms; the center of it had a round hole outlined in in blue and there was a stone pedestal a few feet in front of the wall. It might have been beautiful a long time ago, but now it was just sad. "This structure marks the end of Prometheus's theft," Merlin explains. "The stolen flame burned on for a great while—long enough for Excalibur to be both forged and broken here. This is where the first Dark One killed Nimue, the woman I loved."

"You made Cal," I ask, moving to the pedestal and letting my hand hover over it. I could feel the familiar tingle of Excalibur's magic, just now connecting the dots that Merlin shared it as well. "You're connected in a weird way, aren't you?"

"Yes, it's part of the reason you and I get along so well. You were his constant companion for so many years and his magic wore off on you." The smile he gave me lacked its usual warmth, this one was sad as he reminisced on a traumatic event.

"What happened to the flame," Emma questions, not noticing his sudden sadness. It was deep and made my heart ache for him, it reminded me of the sadness in Papa's eyes whenever he thought of my older brother.

"The first Dark One took it and still possesses it in the form of a single ember, with the spark deep inside."

"So that's what I need to get. Okay, bring him on." Merlin pulls out the dagger and I have to fight the urge to grab it and keep it safe for my papa.  _He's not the Dark One anymore, he's got no magic_. The thought should have given me some comfort knowing he was ordinary, but I just kept remembering how many enemies he made when he had magic, my husband and father included. I close my eyes for a moment, letting my hand drop back to my side. "My family let you take this?"

"I didn't ask permission. You need its power to talk to the first Dark One, to reach all the way back to the origin of dark magic." Merlin tugs on my sleeve until I follow him so that Emma could have a moment alone. "I have to warn you, Aveena, you might be able to hear the Dark One."

"How would that be possible," I ask, brows furrowed. "I couldn't see my papa when he was telling Emma to do things."

"That's different, he was completely in her head and never had any real ties to Excalibur besides you, but this Dark One—the first one—was there when the blade was forged." Nervous now, I readjust my backpack on my shoulder as Merlin and I remain locked in a staring contest.

"It's buzzing," Emma says suddenly and I look away first," like ants crawling up my arm." She whirls around to face us, looking concerned. "Is it safe?"

"Of course not." His voice was breathy, showing that he really was scared about how all of this could play out. "Your power is totally unchecked, and I've just handed you the power to kill me. Now, call on the spirit of the previous Dark Ones." Emma lets out a shaky breath as she holds the dagger up higher, the name on it slowly beginning to shift before picking up speed—the names changing faster than I could read them. "You did it," Merlin breathes out a minute or two later, he and Emma staring at something I can't see.

"You can see him, too?"

"Yes." I squint a little, trying desperately to see what they could and finally getting a glimpse of some dark and a flash of gold. "Power has its advantages. And it's not a him." I draw on Merlin's magic, the image becoming clearer until I can see the person dressed in dark robes and a gold mask that looked like it had been made by melting strings of gold together. The figure raises a gloved hand and removes the mask, revealing green-gold skin and the delicate features of a woman. I cast a glance at the dagger, the name there shocking me more than the fact that Merlin seems intimately familiar with this Dark One.

"Nimue."

"Yes," the Dark One answers," I'm Nimue. And you're Emma." The thing—cause she's obviously been dead for a while—starts walking forward towards Emma. "How pretty, the first Dark One and the newest Dark One standing as sisters."  _Is that what's going on here? Because it just feels like an awkward family reunion to me_.

"It makes sense. You killed the woman he loved because you killed the woman you used to be." Feeling another pang of sadness for the sorcerer, I take a few steps closer to him, brushing my fingers against the back of his hand to let him know I'm still on his side. "Why didn't you tell me," Emma demands of Merlin.

"I did tell you. The creature over there is the first Dark One." His voice is tight and he's barely managing to keep the tears at bay. "It's not the woman I loved."

"It's been a long time, Merlin," she greets.

"I've thought of you every day."

"And now, on your last day, I'll be your last thought."

"I'll probably regret this," I say, stepping slightly in front of Merlin," but you'll have to get through me and I'm not a sweet as I look, honey."

"Yes, Rumpelstiltskin's daughter." She offers up a smile, strange eyes landing on me and hardening. "You kept him from giving into temptation, but now my magic isn't tethered to him—it's tethered to Emma and her only connection to you lies with the pirate she loves." Nimue and Emma raise an arm in unison, a gold blast of magic shooting out and knocking the air out of me. It would have knocked me off my feet if I didn't instinctively absorb some of it.

"No offense, Merlin, but your girlfriend's a bitch." Nimue lets out a snarl, forcing another blast of magic to come flying my way, throwing me back against a tree. The branches of it wrap around my torso, slowly beginning to tighten around me like a Boa Constrictor.

"Why are you doing this," Emma demands as another blast knocks Merlin off his feet," you love him."

"Even when you love someone," Nimue declares," you have to say 'no, this is mine. You can't take it away from me' and if they don't listen, if they try to stop you from being you, then you have no choice. You  _have_  to kill them." Nimue was less than a foot away from Emma now, giving the blonde an intense stare. I let out a grunt of pain, the branches digging in tightly and making cuts, but I focus hard on it, trying to weaken the branches enough for them to drop me. Merlin coughs, dazedly beginning to sit up. "And you're doing this."

Emma moves faster than I can keep up with, wrapping the thin fingers of one hand around Merlin's throat and pinning him back to the ground, choking him as her magic ensured that he stayed down. "Emma," I shout, almost crying as the branches tighten even more. "You kill me and Killian will never speak to you again!"

"We are one and the same now, all Dark Ones, and we must destroy the threat to us. We must destroy Merlin." I let out a hoarse whimper as the branches tighten again, breathing becoming practically nonexistent and spots swimming in front of me. It feels like my lungs are burning as I try to suck in air, but the branches refuse to let my chest expand. My strength was drained and I could do little more than wiggle my toes as I hung limply in the air.

"Emma, please," Merlin was rasping.

"It's not me," Emma shouts in desperation for him to believe her.

"Finish the job," Nimue demands harshly. Anything else they were saying was lost on me as my heart speeds up and the thumping of it echoes loudly in my ears, ushering me closer to unconsciousness. My ribs ache, the cuts sting, and my head was beginning to throb—I was going to die unless I could get loose. But I couldn't even wiggle my toes anymore and my chin rested against the top of my chest as my strength completely left me.  _Not yet…. I want my papa._

And then everything went black.

**Pan—Camelot**

"Foul witch," Arthur snarls as the group bursts into the council room," you've overpowered the guards!" Regina holds up a hand as he charges at them with a mace, freezing him in place with minimal effort. A sharp pain shoots through Pan's body, sudden and horrible, it sent him falling back against a wall with a gasp.  _Morgan_. Something was wrong, she was hurt.

"Hook," he croaks, then again louder," Hook, your daughter is hurt." The pirate looked torn between completing the mission and questioning Pan further. "Sh-she's—"

"Don't touch the sword," Hook warns as he sheathes his sword and walks over to Pan, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and pining him in place. "How do you know something's wrong with Vee?"

"After we were married…" Harsher pain shot through him, his lungs feeling as though they were on fire. "The ceremony binds people of like magic." He felt as though an elephant was sitting on his chest, compressing his lungs, crushing him. "Hook, it's not good."

"Hi, guys!" The chipper voice of Zelena draws all gazes to her as she rounds the corner with a bound Mary Margaret.

"Fantastic," Pan grunts, sinking to the floor as Hook lets go to face the bitch and the idiot left to guard her.

"Mary Margaret," David shouts," if you hurt her—"

"Ooh, Daddy's angry." She shoves Mary Margaret down in one of the chairs surrounding the round table with a smile. "Let's undo that." With a wave of her hand, Arthur was free to move around again.  _Fucking hell._  Pan lets out a pained scream, falling backwards as the pain intensifies. He couldn't focus on anything with the pain, but he managed to catch that Arthur had removed the cuff around Zelena's wrist.

"Merlin," Arthur screamed, his cries drowning out Pan's whimpers. "Merlin!" Just as suddenly as it was there, most of the pain was gone, leaving Pan breathing hard on the ground, clutching at his shirt and sweating.

"No," Hook screamed, David and Robin having to hold him back. Pan finds out why when he sits up with some trouble, finding Merlin in the room holding Morgan's body in his arms while Arthur brandished Excalibur.  _Oh God, he has control of Merlin and what better way to hurt the pirate than to ensure Morgan was dead?_

"Ah, Merlin." He raises the sword to Merlin's throat with a vicious smile. Merlin's expression hardens as he realizes what had happened, gently lying Morgan down on the ground and taking a step away from her. "How kind of you to come when called. Pan couldn't see if his wife was breathing or not, but her eyes were closed and her complexion was ashen. "For your first task, please use your magic to keep these fine people from attacking me in any way." Merlin waves his hand much the same way Regina had earlier, swords clattering to the floor and Pan's magic leaving him.

"It is done, Arthur," Merlin tells him sadly. "You can put that down. We don't have to do this." Arthur faces him again, Excalibur still out in case he needed to wield Merlin again. "Emma has passed her test."

"Oh, Emma passed the test? How nice for her."

"I have what we need to unite Excalibur and fulfill your legacy. Give me the sword." Merlin holds out a hand for it, but Arthur isn't as dumb as Pan had hoped, because the other man only tightens his hold on the silver hilt.

"You mean give you the glory? No." With Arthur distracted, Pan inches closer, not to attack, but to pull Morgan out of the crossfire. "Leave her where she is!" Pan clenches his jaw, settling with kneeling beside her, cushioning her head with the heavy black jacket he had on. This close to her, he could hear faint raspy breaths and see the barely discernible rise and fall of her chest. Still there were tears in her dark sweater and he could make out dried blood on her ashen flesh, dark bruises across her lower throat and wrists.He looks in Hook's direction, pale green eyes locking with bright blue, and he gave a small nod to show she was still alive. Hook lets out an audible breath, having to hold onto the back of a chair to stay standing. 

"Glory? You seek glory? Is that really what you've become?" Merlin gives Arthur a disgusted look. "I am so sorry I wasn't there to guide you, Arthur. This isn't the man you were supposed to be."

"Oh, I am exactly what you made me. 'Look at the half-man with his half-sword, solving riddles from a tree.'" Arthur puffs his chest out, raising Excalibur and gesturing toward it mockingly with his free hand. "I bet you laughed."

"I was trapped, and I put my faith in you. You were meant to be like a son to me."

"Shut your mouth. I was never a son to you. You lied; you told me legend would speak of the great King Arthur, using Excalibur to strike Darkness from the realm! Tell me how this was not a lie!"

"Because you will do that. You're a part of doing it right now."

"A part of it?"

"We have what we need. The future is in your hands, Arthur." There was no bargaining when Arthur was in an insane rage like this one.  _We may all die here_. "Give me the sword. We can repair everything." Pan cups Morgan's face in his hands, feeling the magic that still clings to her even after Merlin had diminished much of it. She absorbs magic like a sponge absorbs water, but she was too weak to do anything right now.  _That's how Merlin's keeping her from attacking Arthur, he's got her in a sort of coma_.

"No, not everything. This is my charge and my right. I will be known for more than defeating a stone."

"Arthur, you cannot—"

"Be quiet. We have intruders." Arthur turns to face the others, pointing at them each with Excalibur. "Make them leave." Pan closes his eyes as Merlin's magic wraps around him, the feel of it making him think of sunshine and bubbling champagne.

When he opened his eyes again, Morgan had stopped breathing.


	95. Chapter 95

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OUTFIT: http://www.polyvore.com/c95/set?id=183942449

The wind seemed to have a harsher bite than it used to, but that might be because I wasn't used to it since I used to have my magic keeping me warm. Now I had to conserve my magic and that meant dressing for the weather, so I had on a heavy jacket, a scarf, and the warmest jeans in my closet. "I figured I'd find you out here," Pan mumbles as he sits next to me on the lip of the old wishing well. "I wanted to apologize for what Bridget called you yesterday."

"That's not your job," I reply, twisting the ring around on my finger. "How's she feeling?"

"I wouldn't know, I broke things off with her." I hum a response, pausing the twisting long enough to push my glasses further up my nose. I'd run out of contacts and new ones wouldn't be shipped in until next week, so I was stuck wearing my glasses until then if I wanted to see. "Where'd you get that ring?"

"I came back with it, why?"

"It was my mother's." I look over at Pan in surprise, finding him gazing wistfully at the ring I wore. "She gave it to me before she died and told me to give it to the love of my life." He reaches out and grasps my hand, bringing it closer to his face so he can see the ring better. "It should only be on that finger if we were married, Morgan."

"Why would we get married?"

"You mean besides the obvious reason."

"Ha ha, Captain Sarcasm." I shoot him a dry look, watching him as he stood and allowing him to pull me to my feet. "I can't stay out here much longer, Micah and Nicky want me to do a quick check-up on Jasmina before they take her home from the hospital."

"I'll let you go when you kiss me."

"What? No." I shake my head, trying to pull my hand back, but he's stronger than I am and pulls me closer. "Pan, I'm not in the mood."

"It's not going to kill you, my darling." The husky way he said that made me shiver involuntarily, his arms wrapping loosely around my waist as his face comes closer to mine. "I'll even say the magic word—please." It was tempting to just give in to him, but I had more respect than that, so I settled with having a little fun. I put my hands on his shoulders, rising up on my toes in order to ensure my lips would brush against his ear when I spoke in a way I knew always made him shake.

"Do you stay up at night fantasizing about what I taste like," I ask in an equally seductive tone.

"God yes." His hands start to inch lower and lower until they were cupping my ass through my jeans.

"Do you remember how I felt against you? Grinding, writhing, and moving in perfect synchronization?" Another groaned reply from him and I feel the spark of happiness start to burn brighter inside me. "All the noises. I showed you all new things you never imagined." I moan low in my throat, pressing against him. "Do you miss me, Pan?"

"You know I do." I nip at his lobe, running my tongue over the offending mark my teeth left and grinning broadly when I hear him let out a hiss.

"Too bad we're not dating." Before he had the chance to distract me, I teleport myself in front of the hospital, shivering more than earlier, though I knew it wasn't completely from the cold now.

**Camelot**

I let out a weak gasp, throat sore and my head beginning to throb as tiny pinpricks of light make their way past my eyelids. I felt sore all over, the pain only reminding me how I used to feel two days after a vicious beating from Vincent. It wasn't something I liked to recall, but I knew from the feeling that at least one of my ribs were bruised. "W-wha-?"

"Don't move," a man instructs softly, his hand pressed firmly against my chest, rubbing slightly in a way that helped me to breath. His magic was warm as it filtered into me, the comforting feeling instinctively making me relax against it.  _Papa?_ But when I slowly open my eyes, it's Merlin leaning over me, his other hand cupping the back of my head to cushion it against the leaf-strewn ground.

"Emma…?"

"She passed the test, but you nearly died."

"I really wish I could say that was a first." I let out a choked groan of pain, the stinging of shallow cuts along my arms and chest feeling like I was being pricked by needles over and over again. "Where am I?"

"The Caledonian Forest with almost all of your group."  _Why does he look so guilty?_ "You missed a lot while you were out, Arthur tethered me to Excalibur and I've been ordered to kill all of you if he doesn't get the dagger and Promethean Flame."  _Well, that's not good_. Merlin sits me up and leans me back against a tree, using his magic to bind my hands behind the tree with a pair of magic-proof manacles. "Try not to do anything too strenuous while I leave to talk to Emma."

"I can barely keep my head up, so what makes you think I'd attempt escape?"

"Fair enough." He poofed himself away to wherever Emma was and I'm left to look around me at the others. Unlike me, they were forced to stay standing while Zelena and Arthur stood at the front near Mary Margaret, completely free from chains and looking too smug for my liking.

"Dad?"

"Over here, Vee," he calls from somewhere behind me. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was nearly turned into a pile of mush by a tree, but that's not what I want to talk about."

"Quiet," Arthur snaps, turning and sending a glare in my direction. "Out of all the people chained to trees, you're the one Emma would miss the least, Aveena, so don't think I won't hesitate to kill you right now." I raise my chin, trying to look superior, but it was a hard thing to accomplish when I'm chained to a tree and about as strong as a newborn Chipmunk. Still, I meet his gaze without flinching, the corners of my mouth turned up in a proud smile. "Don't look so proud."

"Why shouldn't I? Because you think you have the high ground? Too bad Emma's going to kick your ass and you won't get anything."

"And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"Villains never win, sweetie pie."

**Storybrooke**

The little girl settled in Nicky's arms had to be one of the cutest babies I've ever seen with a tuft of dark brown hair and the blue-gray eyes all infants are born with. Little Jasmina's cheeks were plump and rosy, her nose was tiny and turned up at the end, and they had her dressed in a turquoise onesie with matching mittens on her hands to keep her from scratching herself. "She's beautiful," I comment, moving to kneel in front of Nicky and running the tip of my finger over her soft hair.

"Thank you," he murmurs quietly, still rocking in the chair in order to keep Jasmina from crying. Whale told me earlier that the baby cried a lot when she was awake, so I wanted to make sure she was completely healthy before Nicky and Micah took her home. "Do you want to hold her, Mo?" I shake my head quickly, standing up and sitting on the nearby pull-out couch that Nicky has been occupying since Jasmina was three days old.

"Nope, the last baby I held was Henry and I almost dropped him, so…." Nicky lets out a laugh, warm brown eyes focused on his daughter. "Where's Micah?"

"He ran to pick us up some lunch from Granny's." I've never seen Nicky look so serene before despite his obvious lack of sleep. "You want to come do your check-up so Whale can be satisfied?" I shrug, leaning forward to rest my fingers against Jasmina's forehead and pushing my magic out to heal anything that might have been missed. "You did it like that to feel like Castiel, didn't you?"

"I couldn't let that opportunity pass me by." The door opens and Whale struts—I repeat,  _struts_ —inside in a set of scrubs with a downright delighted grin on his face. "What's got you so happy?"

"Zelena's going into labor," he answers, bouncing a little on his toes. "You wanna come watch as she goes through the agony of birth."

"Hell yes." I rise quickly, placing a quick kiss on Nicky's cheek before following Whale up to the next floor and into Zelena's room. Instead of the small bump it was when we returned, her stomach was the size of a beach ball and her agonized screams were like music considering everything she's put my family and me through. "Wow, aren't you the overachiever."

"Morgan," Zelena growls," nobody's in the mood for your sarcasm. Where's the damn doctor?"

"I'm the doctor," Whale answers, trying his best to look professional as he pulled on a pair of medical gloves. "Too bad for me that it doesn't come with a sonic screwdriver, but what can ya do?"

"There is an angry baby inside of me! Get it out!"

"You know, the last time I delivered a baby, you tried to steal it. But why try to steal one when making one is so much fun, right?" Robin gives a small shake of his head, looking extremely worried about the fact his baby was coming a whole seven months ahead of schedule and a possible idiot was delivering it. Whale extends his hand for Zelena to shake, giving her a half-smile that would make most people swoon—straight or not. "Doctor Whale."

"We really need another doctor in this town," Regina states with a disapproving look in Whale's direction, hands planted on her hips. "And what's with the dye job?"

"Oh so- so Emma changes her hair and no one makes a fuss, but I get ridiculed? Come on, you know you like it."

"I think it looks great," I announce, raising my hand a little and leaning forward from my spot on top of the dirty clothes basket. "I liked his natural dark blonde better, but white works all the same." Regina sends me a look that spoke of how little patience she had at the moment, a little warning for me to keep my sass in check until the baby came. "Right, I'll just sit here and enjoy Zelena's pain."

"Oh my God," Zelena shrieks," didn't I kill the blonde the last time I was here?!"

"You threw me against a wall," Whale corrects. "You probably shouldn't do it this time since I'm the only one here that knows how to deliver your baby." When nobody laughs, he gives a little shrug and turns to me. "Could you hook her up to an IV, Morgan?"

"My pleasure," I nod, hopping down," I've always wanted to stab the Wicked Witch." I sit on the edge of Zelena's bed, taking the IV needle from a nurse and feeling around on her hand until I find a vein that might cooperate. As I slip the needle in and tape it in place, I begin to whistle just loud enough for Zelena to hear me, but I don't think she appreciates hearing 'If I Only had a Brain' as much as she should. Once the IV was in place, I tie an elastic band above the inside of her elbow and start prodding for a new vein in order to take blood samples.

"Everybody get ready," Snow instructs as she and Belle run into the room.

"No bad news yet, not when I can finally say I shanked this bitch!" Snow gives me a look and continues speaking despite my protest.

"The only thing Emma needs to destroy light magic is-"

"The cries of a newborn child," I interrupt, taping some gauze over the pinprick before handing the vials over to a nurse to write Zelena's information on in Sharpie. "It's all very dramatic, but lucky for us that I happen to hold no grudges against babies, so this little one will be perfectly safe. Now, is there any other procedure that involves poking Zelena with sharp things?"

**Camelot**

I look up as Emma walks our way, finally giving up counting the number of leaves on my tree. It had been a boring two hours and now we'll finally get our confrontation where Emma will probably kick some ass. "I brought the dagger and the flame," she says in the same monotone she's been using since we found her here. Seriously though, doesn't she know how to sound angry instead of bored out of her skull? "But you don't get it until you free my family."

"For God's sakes," I call out," just poof us out of here and be done with it!" If I wouldn't get shocked by using magic, I would've already had us back at Granny's, but Emma likes to be complicated.  _Rule one when going up against the bad guys: cheat like your life depends on it because it probably does_.

"Quiet, Morgan, I'll handle this."

"Then stop being a whiny brat and handle it already! Not everything the Dark One does has to be overly dramatic!" I was fed up with the whole showdown thing that Emma and her parents seemed to thrive on, just poof all of us and Excalibur back to Granny's and let's be done with all of this! Emma clenches her jaw, sending me a warning look before meeting Arthur's gaze again. "It's a miracle the Curse was broken at all." Emma holds a hand out towards Merlin, pale gold magic sparking there.

"Merlin, get what I want," Arthur commands. Merlin has no choice but to do Arthur's bidding when the other man raises Excalibur, Merlin raising both hands and shooting a purple blast of magic in Emma's direction, Emma's magic meeting it halfway.  _Next thing you know, Lilly Potter's gonna show up and attack Arthur_. Magic beat against magic, creating a bright light that was hard to look directly at until Emma fell to the ground. I move the thick chain connecting the cuffs against the tree bark, hoping they would snap to at least let me tackle Arthur to the ground, but they held fast and I was stuck.

"Man, Sam and Dean never have this much trouble."  _I am so hitting Arthur the first chance I get!_ But Dad beats me to it, having worked his arm out of the black cover that held his hook, and now he was swinging it at Arthur. "My dad's a badass," I grin when the hook collides with Arthur's face and sends him to the ground in dazed shock.

"Don't," Dad commands when Arthur reaches for Excalibur, Dad's booted foot coming down hard on his outstretched hand. "Just scurry back to your castle and thank whatever god you pray to that I'm feeling merciful." Zelena looks like she'd eaten something sour, but poofs the two of them away all the same, the chains releasing me the moment she was gone. "Come on, sweetheart." Dad helps me up, half-supporting me when I try to walk and realize my legs had fallen asleep.

"I'll be fine, but it looks like Emma could use a hug from a dashing pirate." He grins down at me and it's only then that I notice the shallow cut on his neck just below his jaw. "Ouch, that doesn't look too good."

"Save your magic, Vee."

"If you insist, Daddy Dearest." I pat his shoulder and stumble over to Pan, smiling a little when he pulls me into a tight hug and his outdoorsy scent envelopes me. "God, you smell good."

"Hey, at least twenty feet between you both at all times!"


	96. Chapter 96

“Morgan, think you can do something about the pain she’s in,” Robin asks, not taking his eyes off Zelena. I wave my hand, using my magic to accomplish something useful as I lean against the wall. “She still looks pained.”

“Oh, she is,” I nod, unfazed by the look he was sending my way,” I took away her ability to scream. I was getting a migraine.” Before Robin could actually object to what I just did, a new scream fills the room, weaker than Zelena’s. I smile a little, leaning forward to catch a glimpse of the tiny baby in Whale’s hands. She was small, even for a newborn, but that was only to be expected since she came so early. Unlike in TV shows, the little one didn’t come out squeaky clean, she came out covered in gunk that made me lean back in disgust.

“Congratulations,” Whale says and I can hear the smile in his voice,” it’s a baby girl.” A sudden shot of jealousy races through me when I remember I’ll never have this moment. I’ll never bring a baby of my own into the world, never breastfeed, or pass part of myself off to a mini me. I let out a shuddering breath, watching as the nurse cleaned the baby off and wrapped her in a soft pink blanket that Regina had brought in before Zelena had started pushing. “It’s alright, Morgan.” I let Whale wrap me up in a hug, my fingers clutching the back of his scrubs as I fight back tears of frustration.

“Am I stupid to be jealous,” I whisper as Regina walks inside. “I’ve known for almost a year that I can’t have kids, so why’s it hitting me so hard now?”

“Because you just saw a baby being born.” Whale’s voice is equally quiet as he rests his cheeks against my head,” but you’ll work through this and maybe adopt a baby when you’re ready.”

“Will I ever be ready?” He pulls back to look at me, hands grasping my upper arms and a smile playing on his lips.

“In time, Mo.” The sudden presence of magic has me tensing and Whale moving a few feet in front of me as Emma appears in a puff of gray smoke.

“Look who’s glowing,” she greets with a sarcastic smile. I raise a hand to send her to her knees, but she beats me to it, using her magic to fling Whale into me and both of us to the floor. Even if I’d needed to protect myself, I could do little more than stay conscious from the hard blow. Whale may not have looked very big, but his dead weight was enough to crack at least one rib, re-break my arm, and send me into a daze. _Where’s the cartoon birds that are supposed to fly around my head?_ I close my eyes, trying to fight off the dizziness, but then the darkness swoops in with some help from Emma’s magic.

**Camelot**

I never thought I’d be able to say that I was there when the dark magic was destroyed once and for all, it just seemed like how every witch said they were at Salem during the trials, but this is really happening and I have a front row seat. The flame was safely in a protective box, Excalibur and the dagger were beside it on the table, and now all we needed was for the dagger and Cal to become joined again.

With a motion of Emma’s hand, the flame rose from the box and hovered in the air, burning brightly and growing in size until it was as big as Emma’s head. As she raised Cal and the dagger to renew the blade that was broken, Dad lets out a hiss and muffled curse, clutching at his neck.

“Daddy,” I ask in concern, hopping off the stool and powerwalking over to him,” are you okay?” Blood was pouring past his fingers and I nearly collapsed as I helped him to stay standing. “No!” Excalibur did this and Excalibur had to undo it, but that’s only if it’s possible. I lower both of us to the floor, growing panicked. Scared and angry, I jut out my arm, only lowering it again when I feel the cool silver of Excalibur’s hilt. Its magic was vibrating inside it and into me as I covered Dad’s throat with my free hand.

“Morgan,” Merlin warns,” healing that has a high price.”

“Then I’ll pay it!” Tears were gathering and spilling over as I force more of Excalibur’s magic into my father, feeling the slick skin beneath my hand begin to knit back together even as my nose began to bleed and my chest started to ache. “I’ve got you, Daddy.”

“No,” he grunts, trying to pull away,” Vee, stop, just let me go.”

“Let me help,” Emma kneels beside us, her hands covering both of mine as she mimics my position. Pan and Micah do the same, pushing their magic out to amplify the effect Excalibur’s had on the cut, the skin healing even faster than before until it was smooth again and I was falling backwards against Micah. “What’s wrong?”

“Vee, what did you do?” I stare up at the ceiling, gasping as sharp pains begin to ravage my body. _I couldn’t lose both of my fathers in just three weeks_. Everything looked like it was being reflected in a fun house mirror, warped and distorted only there was nothing funny about it.

“She’s paying the price,” I hear Merlin saying, but it felt like I was underwater. “The barrier in her mind has fallen and now the darkness inside of her will have free range. She might not be able to fight it and she still didn’t completely save you, Killian.”

“What the hell do you mean she didn’t save me?! I’m alive and my daughter’s in pain!”

“She tied your lives together.” Their voices seemed to echo, fading in and out, but the pain had vanished and was just a mild throbbing in my temple. “When one of you dies, the other shall as well and you only have a month at most.”

“We can’t have that,” Emma states and I can feel her taking Excalibur out of my grasp. “If I lose both of you, then Gold will kill everyone—whether or not he has magic, he’d poison the water supply when we get back. I know how to keep that from happening.”

“Emma, you can’t—“

“I can and I will.” That’s when I closed my eyes and their voices faded away, that was when I was brought back to that familiar meadow where Regina had locked away the darker side of me. She was waiting there, sitting beside a lake with a wicked grin, watching the events unfold. The image of Granny’s was reflected on the still surface and I was able to see myself lying on the floor, but what caught my attention was that Emma had ahold of Dad and poofed them and Excalibur out of the diner. _She’s going to make Dad into a Dark One to ensure Papa doesn’t kill everyone the second he wakes up_.

Dark Morgan turns to face me with a smile that would put Papa’s to shame, the gleam in her eyes reminding me of how Papa looked whenever he’d just done something cruel, and then she spoke for the first time in almost a year. “We’re going to have so much fun, Dearie.”

**Storybrooke**

The next time I open my eyes, I’m in a hospital bed of my own, my arm bound in a cast and sling, and I had IV painkillers flowing into me if the cloudy feeling in my head was anything to go off of. Confused, I try to sit up only to fall back on the bed with a hiss of pain, entire body going stiff until the pain begins to dull again to a tolerable ache. _Fractured rib_. I let out a moan of pain, turning to look around the hospital room and spotting Whale in the bed next to mine.

“I’m never delivering another baby,” he tells me, a bandage wrapped around his head. “Every time I do, I get thrown.”

“At least I didn’t get kidnapped this time,” I remark, smiling when Whale laughs.

“There is that.”

* * *

“Go fish.”

“Damn it,” Whale curses,” are you sure you’re not cheating at this?” I give him a look, smiling a little when he holds his cards closer to his chest in distrust. Since he might have a concussion, the nurses had charged me with the task of keeping him awake while Whale’s job was to keep me from trying to walk out. “Alright, your turn, Mo.”

“Got any two’s?”

“Ha! Go fish!” I roll my eyes, picking up the card on the top of the deck and then setting it down with my two with a smile. “Seriously, you’re cheating somehow.”

“Nope, I’m just lucky when it comes to cards.”

“Runs in the family.” I look up at Dad’s voice, giving him a bright smile as he walks further into the room. There was something off about him, and I didn’t mean that he was parting his hair differently, there was dark magic pulsing around him. “I’m here to take my daughter home.”

“Ah, no,” Whale says, setting his cards down as he gets unsteadily to his feet,” she’s supposed to stay in the hospital for a week until her ribs are better.” Dad waves his hand over my midsection, fixing my ribs. I let out a noise of relief, able to breathe easier now that the rib wasn’t fractured.

“There, her ribs are fine and she’s coming with me.” He scoops me up easily, the curve of his hook keeping my legs locked together while his arm kept me from wiggling too much. “I thank you for taking care of her, but I’ll be taking over.” And then we were in a cabin on the _Jolly Roger_ and he was lying me down in a bright red hammock.

“What happened to you,” I ask, watching as he moved to the chest set against a wall and began to go through it. “Since when do you have magic?”

“Since Emma made me into the new Dark One, Vee.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you right.”

“No, you heard perfectly.” He turns with a blanket and a dreamcatcher in his hand, giving me a theatrical bow. “Killian Jones, Dark One, at your service.” With a smile, he covers me with the blanket before holding up the dreamcatcher for me to see, the strands of it a pale purple and blue with some feathers weaved into it. “And these are your missing memories. Would you like them back?”

“Hold on a second, what the hell do you mean you’re the Dark One? Like, Mister and Mrs. Dark One?”

“This would be so much easier if you’d just relax and let me give you your memories back.” I do as he says, turning my eyes to the dreamcatcher and letting out a gasp as the memories come flooding back.

 


	97. Chapter 97

**Camelot**

"This is the cost," I ask, sitting beside the lake and reaching out a hand to make the waters ripple until a new image appeared—this one of Dad as he confronted the voice in his head. "You're free again." Dark Morgan gives a slight nod, lying back on the soft grass and staring up at the sky. It was always daylight here, the perfect temperature and the sun partially hiding behind a fluffy white cloud.

"We both have control over our body, I'm just lacking your morals," she confirms. "The first thing I want to do is rip out Snow White's heart and crush it before doing the same to her hubby. I think it'll be fun, don't you?"

"Only if you're trying to get Henry to hate us."

"I don't care about Henry; honestly, I'm tired of caring about people that use me for my magic. Snow White and the heroes only tolerate us, they come to us when they need a magical boost, and that's it."

"I know." I look over at her, taking in the slightly altered features that were an almost exact copy of mine. "We have a parasitic relationship, they use me for my magic and I use them to keep the people I care about safe."

"That is a very short list. Let's see, there's Papa, Killian, Micah, Nicky, Whale, and Henry. A whole six people that might return your sentiments. What good is caring about people when all that leaves you is heartbroken when they die or turn on you? With my personality and our combined magic, we could have all of Storybrooke kissing our shoes!" I look back to the water, finding that the image that filled it now was of Emma and Dad having a shouting match.

"Maybe…" Both of us stayed silent for a long while, Dark Morgan staring up at the sky while I stayed looking at the mirror-still lake, watching as the night fell outside in the real world. "We need to go back."

"You've certainly accepted me better than the last time." She was amused and that had me wondering if I could hurt her without hurting myself. "I can hear your thoughts, dearest, and you'd look rather dumb hitting yourself." I make a face at that, noticing the way Dark Morgan copied it perfectly, a mirror image. "So wake up, Morgan, wake up and face the world with a slight fewer scruples." I stand slowly, muscles aching and my head beginning to throb again as I began to wake, and to finish it all, I jumped into the water and allowed it to swallow me.

* * *

I wake fully with a pained gasp, looking around me at the near empty diner. It was dark inside and I could make out Merlin talking to someone in the kitchen part, but not what they were saying. Carefully, I sit up and begin to heal the physical wounds—bruises, cuts, and soreness fading away even as dizziness sweeps over me. The aftermath nearly felt like a hangover, but I still managed to get to my feet as the voices became louder. Dad and Merlin emerge from the kitchen, Dad holding a bright red heart and Merlin looking pained.

"No," I gasped, even the darker me shocked at what we were seeing. "Daddy, what—"

"Quiet, Aveena," he instructs with a malicious smile that I haven't seen in since Neverland. "As for your earlier question—" he turns his gaze back to Merlin "—I'd really love my revenge against the bastard that took everything from me and he's in Storybrooke. Now, we all know that to traverse realms you have to cast a curse, the Dark Curse to be more specific, and this is the last ingredient I need." He holds the heart up for us to see and I wince.  **Let him do it** , the other me whispered encouragingly,  **Merlin's heart should be more than enough to cast the Curse**.

"Unless I'm the person you love most," Merlin states sadly," then it won't work." Dad and Merlin look at something I can't see, but I have a good guess that it's the voice of all the Dark Ones that came before.  _Is he still seeing Papa or is he seeing one of the others?_ **Nimue loves him, you twit, so Nimue will be the one to crush it**.  _Just shut up and let me think by myself_. "But you're not here."

"Yes she is," I confirm," just like she was here when Emma almost killed both of us." I couldn't help a wicked smile, picturing what I would do to Nimue if she wasn't currently residing in Dad's head.  **Is her blood warmed by her frigid heart or is it frozen in her veins?** Despite the friendship that had been trying to bloom, I no longer felt trepidation about Dad crushing the heart, I wanted to see it as much as Dad did. I move to stand next to Dad, running the tip of my fingers over the organ and relishing the strong beats that vibrate through it. "Can I help you, Daddy?"

I've never seen him look so proud before, but his eyes lit up and he allowed me to wrap a hand around his to assist. The jingling bell that signaled the door opening drew all of our gazes to Emma, who seemed to pale upon seeing us.

"Were you playing me the whole time or just at the end," she asks, almost breathless.

"Most of the time," Dad shrugs with a grin," but if it makes you feel any better, I played the others as well." He glances down at the sword in his scabbard, directing it to go back to the stone. It disappears in a puff of maroon smoke and the absence of Cal had me missing him like an addict misses Cocaine. I ached for him, needed to hold him in my hand just one more time.

"Why is she helping." Emma jerks her chin towards an empty space and I assume that's where Nimue's hiding out. "What is she getting out of it?" A second later, Emma was fighting back tears and I felt giddy watching as she lost her cold demeanor. It was satisfying finally seeing the hero beginning to crack, realizing that the villain was winning this time.  **I want to tear her heart out like Papa did to Mother**.  _In time_. "Morgan, you can't let them do this."

"Why not," I laugh. "It'll be fun to watch you lot running around like chickens with your heads cut off!"

"He's going to kill Gold." My smile doesn't falter, but the darker version of myself seethes at the thought of anyone harming my papa. No matter the way, he did raise me to be his, he loved me no matter what anyone else said, and no one would ever harm him again.  **Kill them all**.

"He can try and he will learn just how strong my magic can be." I turn to face him, my expression a deadly calm one that had occupied his face when he noticed I was awake. Now he looked conflicted, like he was debating whether or not I was telling the truth or bluffing. Papa taught me how to bluff a long time ago, I had it down to an art form.  _The key to bluffing someone is to have a neutral expression through the dirty dealings._  But this wasn't a bluff and Killian Jones has another thing coming if he thinks he's getting his crocodile pelt.

"We'll see about that, Vee," he smiles, eyes lighting up again with his glee.

"Do this," Emma warns," and you're destroying any chance of finding your happy ending. You  _told_  me that I was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with."

"Yes, I will admit to saying that, but that was back when I was your trained pup, responding to your every whim." I could feel his muscles tense beneath my hand, and we crushed Merlin's heart together.  _Wait, no!_ **Yes, Morgan. Doesn't it feel lovely?** The conflicting thoughts made my head begin to pound, struggling to figure out which of the voices was the real me. While Merlin collapses and I take an unsteady step backwards, Killian walks back into the kitchen with a handful of the ashes.

 _What am I supposed to do or feel?_ **It doesn't matter now, Dearie, we're one and the same, and our feelings are fused together**. I helped kill Merlin, I helped kill the greatest magic-user in the known world…. And I enjoyed it. I swallow back bile and lower myself to the ground, listening to the voices fight it out as the room began to spin.  _This is wrong, this isn't like before_. Before she would only come out to play whenever I was asleep, but now she's forcing herself into my waking hours.

I feel the pulse of Emma's magic only seconds before I fall unconscious, the voices finally ceasing.

**Storybrooke**

"Pan," I gasp, sitting up too quickly and nearly falling out of the hammock. "Where's Pan?"

"Hold on," Dad snaps," you just got your memories back, you have a darker version of yourself set loose in your head, and know I'm the Dark One 2.0, but you're wondering where that jackass is?"

"Well, yeah, Dad, I'd really like to break his nose for cheating on me with that bimbo."

"So you're finished with him, then? You hate him and want to crush his heart under one of those heels of yours?"

"What, no? I just want to hurt him and then maybe have s—"

"And that's nothing a father wants to hear." He holds up a hand to cut me off, shaking his head in disgust. "Alright, go and find him since I can't stop you, but I expect you to be back on this ship before nightfall."

"For a Dark One, you're sure protective."

"I was your father before I was this, so you're stuck with me, Vee." It didn't make sense why he would let me leave of my own free will until we reached the deck and Papa was standing there, a sword in hand. I tense, voices starting up as I spin to face Dad, the look I send him showing how badly he just fucked up.

"If either of you hurt the other, then I will personally ram my new shoes right up your asses and then I'll hurt you again for making me ruin my shoes." I give them both stern looks, Papa all too used to them from when we argued about whether or not I really needed to learn Elvish. "Now that that's out of the way, I'm going to find my husband."

"Your what," Papa snaps, grabbing my arm to keep me from leaving. "I better have misheard you, Morgan Elizabeth."

"Long story short, Pan's your son-in-law, have a nice duel." Using magic, I poof myself out of his grasp and begin to walk down the gangplank.

"You let my daughter get married to  _Pan_?!"

"Oh please," Dad growls back," Like I actually had a choice in the matter. They ran off and did it while us civilized were sleeping! We're having a long discussion about the perks of divorce later, young lady!" I wave him off without even facing him, breathing in the soothing smell of the water slapping against the dock as I walk. Using magic would get me there faster, but the trouble was not knowing where  _there_ was.  **A room in Granny's Inn**. I grimace at the voice of the darker me, shaking my head like I could shake her out with it. Having her annoying me is the price I paid for keeping Dad alive a while longer, but she's tap dancing on the last of my sanity.  **Room eleven**. Wanting her to shut up, I poof myself into the room, finding Pan sprawled across his bed in only a pair of jeans that hung loosely from his hips.

"How long did you know were married," I ask, leaning against the wall and watching him as he watches TV.

"Since I saw the ring on your finger three days ago," he answers, never tearing his eyes away from the screen. "I figured you'd realize that after that hint I dropped earlier and then you'd come and find me."

"I have my memories back." He does look at me now, gesturing for me to come closer to him. Rolling my eyes, I sit on the edge of the bed, letting out a squeak of surprise when he pulls me down and flips us so that he's half-lying on top of me. "That's not fair, you know."

"Never claimed to be fair, my darling." His lips brush against mine and his voice had gained that sinfully smooth drawl that always turned me to Jell-O. "Now, you have your memory back, do you remember what we might have done in that other land, anything fun?" I close my eyes, practically arching off the bed when his mouth descended on my neck, sucking and biting until I was a quivering mess beneath him. "Any new things we might have done that leaves you pliable in my hands?" Pan lets out a quiet laugh, hand moving slowly upwards until it was under my thigh and he was wrapping my leg around his waist so he was snuggled firmly between them.

"You really want to know what I remember, Pan?"

"God, yes," he moans, using his magic to rid me of my jacket and top. I smile darkly even though he can't see it and flip us again so that I'm straddling his waist, grinding slowly against him and loving the way his expression contorted into frustrated pleasure from the tortuously sweet friction I was providing.

"I remembered that I quite like being the dominant one."


	98. Chapter 98

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OUTFITS: http://www.polyvore.com/ignorance_is_bliss_best_defense/collection?id=4115293

Picture this: a young couple relaxing in bed and watching TV, the man in only a pair of boxers and the woman in an oversized tee and panties. They're still basking in the afterglow, completely calm, and a little giddy. Now picture their reaction when the door of their room is forced open and three men storm inside—a handsome prince, a sour Dwarf, and the woman's papa. Doesn't sound too great, does it? Let me tell ya, it's the complete opposite of great and I'm pretty sure my papa has been scarred for life.

"What the hell," Pan snaps, quickly drawing the heavy comforter over us as the three intruders make sounds of disgust and try their best to keep their eyes on the floor, David bringing up a hand to cover his eyes.

"Have you never heard of knocking," I growl, giving all of them my best glare even if they didn't see it. "It's not a difficult concept to grasp, you just rap your knuckles against the door and wait for the person on the other side to bid you enter!"

"I am in no mood to deal with your attitude," Papa warns, pointing in my direction with his eyes trained on his shoes," so get your damn clothes on and meet us downstairs in the lobby." With the warning delivered, Papa grabs the backs of David's and Leroy's jackets and drags them out of the room, leaving Pan and I behind. "Five minutes before I come back up there and show Pan why I'm still considered armed and dangerous!"

"We have horrid luck." I rest my head against Pan's bare chest, laughing along with him at how ridiculous the situation was. "I suppose we should get dressed before Papa comes back and shoots you."

"Yes," Pan sighs," it would be rather difficult to be married to you if I was a corpse." I nod in agreement, sliding out of bed and walking to the closet where Pan had clothing stored. I settle on a black and red checkered dress, black stockings, and a pair of black heels that made my height even with Pan's. He just poofed his clothes on himself, settling with simple Converse, a pair of jeans, and a black Slytherin Quidditch hoodie.

"We need to get you a wedding ring."

"I'll magic one up, then." I grab his wrist to stop him, watching as his brows furrow in confusion.  _How is it possible for one man to look so handsome and adorable at the same time?_  His angry and confused expressions are nearly the same thing, his bottom lip poking out slightly as he stares down at me, head tilted to the side.

"No, I don't want one forged by magic, I want a  _real_  one." I wind my arms around his neck, playing with the hair that curled at the nape, tugging playfully. "Tomorrow morning we'll go to that really expensive jewelry store and we'll find you the best wedding ring there no matter the cost." He rests his hands on my hips, bending down to press a lingering kiss to my lips.

"It sounds perfect," he mumbles, our lips brushing with every word. I keep my eyes closed, just relishing in the feel of him against me, the minty smell of his breath as he exhales; this moment of tenderness was perfect, like we were in our own little bubble and safe from all the chaos unfolding in town. "I want another wedding, I want to marry you in a church with your family and the others glaring at me as I say my vows."

"Survive tonight and we'll start the planning." I can feel his chuckle as it reverberates through him and triggers a laugh in me as well until both of us are leaning against each other in a giggle fit. "God, our lives are so weird."

"That they are, my darling, that they are."

"Come on, let's get downstairs before I have to shield you from the pistol Papa has in his coat pocket." He may not have magic anymore, but he knows how to hit what he aims at and I'm not ready to say a final farewell to my husband quite yet. David, Leroy, and Papa were waiting in the lobby and all three look up as Pan and I join them, Papa looking less than pleased about everything while the other two pulled expressions of disgust. "You guys are acting like Pan and I haven't been doing this since our return from Neverland."

"A father deserves his illusions," Papa grumbles with a dark look at Pan," one of those, believe it or not, is that his daughter isn't sleeping with the very same man that locked the father in a  _box_."

"Technically," Pan states, holding up a finger," that was the Alp that locked you in a box, all I did was attempt to refuel my powers with the Nevergem and take over the town."

"You're not winning any brownie points."

"What's going on anyway? I don't know if you guys noticed or not, but Morgan and I were a bit busy." David groans loudly, he and Leroy leaving us with Papa to explain everything, their reactions only making me grin. If they interrupt the cuddles, then they deserve to be mentally scarred. Papa’s lips press into a firm line as he glowers at Pan, brown eyes narrowed in his obvious anger. Knowing things could get ugly, I take a step forward so I was between the two men, resting my hands on my hips and cocking up one of my brows.

“I hate it when you give me that look, Morgan, you look just like that bastard.” He takes a deep calming breath and shakes his head before finally telling us why he was here. “Hook has decided to resurrect all of the Dark Ones from the Underworld and all hell will be unleashed if he succeeds. We’re all splitting up to find him and we thought you might have an idea of where he is.”  **The lake, they’re already in town and roaming**. The voice of my darker self in my head makes me shudder, wishing I could just seal her away again.

“It’s too late,” I mutter,” they’re already in town.”  _Damn it, Daddy, what have you done now?_  In all honesty, I’m ready to find a way out of this stupid town and live out the rest of my life in California where no evil monsters live unless you want to count Hipsters. “Let’s get this over with.” I take Pan’s hand and lead the way outside, Papa heading to the right while Pan and I got left to search for the assholes that are taking over.

“Why can’t we just go one week without something bad happening,” Pan queries as we turn down another street. “I just want one full week with no drama where you and I can sit around and binge watch Orange is the new Black.”

“That would be so nice right now.” My phone lets out a few notes to signal a text, the message lighting up my screen making me let out a groan. “Perfect, the Dark Ones have chosen their vessels and my nephew is one of them.” I fist a hand in my hair, resting my head on Pan’s chest as he wraps his arms around me. “When I see my father again, I’m gonna punch him square in the nose!”

“This town blows.” After a moment, we pull back and begin to walk again, heading towards the lake where I knew my father was, the darker me providing a constant commentary on what she was able to sense. Or was it actually me doing the sensing? God, this is going to get confusing.

“What do you think about a Halloween wedding? Then we would have the leaves all pretty colors, we could have a candy buffet.”

“We could dress up as a zombie bride and groom.” I smile up at him with a laugh, seeing the excitement blooming in his pale green eyes. “Our first dance could be to Thriller and we could dance like Michael Jackson did in the video!” Okay, now he looked more excited than I do. “I’m so glad I married a genius.” He stops and rests his hands on my hips, bending his head down to press a kiss to my lips. “Love you, Morgan.”

“Love you too, goofball. Come on, we gotta smack some sense into Daddy.” Pan laughs and starts walking again, taking the lead as our hands swing slightly in the air between us. “Micah and Nicky decided on a name for their daughter.” He makes a sound on interest, looking down at me as we continue moving through the abandoned streets. “Jasmina Elizabeth Blaine, so she’s named after Nicky’s first true love and me.”

“It’s a beautiful name. Have you thought about children?” A pang of sadness makes me stop a few yards from the lake where everyone had gathered, but not close enough to overhear their conversation. “I mean, I know you want one, don’t you?”

“I can’t have kids, Pan, you know that.”

“Hey,” he says softly, making me look up at him with one of his hands cupping my cheek,” we can adopt like those friends of yours. We could find you a little boy to spoil or a little girl for me to lock away in a tower when she’s old enough to date.” I try to smile, but only manage a grimace and the pang comes again, stronger this time and making me let out a sharp gasp. “Morgan, what is it?” A strong wind picks up and the pang grows worse and I barely notice as Pan magics my favorite coat around me.

“I don’t know….” Something’s wrong, something’s really wrong here. Pan catches me as I stumble forward as pain blossoms in my midsection, driving me to my knees as it burns and stings like someone had just drove a hot poker right through me. “Pan, it hurts so bad.”  **You bound our life with Killian’s**. I cut my gaze to the scene unfolding by the lake, spotting  _Excalibur_  as Emma pulled it from Dad’s stomach.

“No, no, not again. Please, Morgan!” He holds me tightly against him, tears cold as they hit my face. “Don’t leave me here with these people, not when I’m coming back to myself again. I just got you back!” But I wasn’t able to see him, my gaze is fixed on the stars above us, glowing brighter than ever.

“They’re so pretty,” I mumble, eyes nearly closed as the pain continues to grow. “Look at the stars, Peter, they’re bright tonight.” I manage a smile as I start to grow colder, shivering against my husband’s warm chest. “Love you, Pan.”

“I love you, too….”

Death wasn't so bad after all. 

* * *

It took a while for me to wake up, my limbs feeling heavy and my body not cooperating with me as I struggled to open my eyes. It was like when I was being pumped full of drugs at the hospital after being hit by a car, that nauseating feeling of the world spinning around me and muffled voices, but being unable to respond at all. My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, making clear thoughts almost impossible even after I was able to crack my eyes open; after that, though, it became easier, things were clearer.

Blinking a few times, I find myself staring up at a wooden ceiling, the planks above me stained darkly and familiar. My bed moved gently, like a baby's cradle being rocked by a parent; there was a faint creaking all around me, and the sound of water splashing gently against wood. Moving only my head, I take in the bright red fabric of a hammock that supported my weight, smiling slightly when I recognize it.

It's the  _Jolly Roger_ , I'm home and this had all been some sort of horrible dream.

Nodding and hoping I'm right, I carefully stand up, my legs shaky as I take a few steps away from the hammock with one arm outstretched for balance. The room is cluttered with several different things, old drawing done in charcoal, women's clothes strewn over everything, but one picture caught my interest the most. It was stuck to the wall by a delicate knife, the lines graceful and perfect as they form a small family—a young man grinning down at the infant in his arms, the small fingers of the baby's hand grasping the necklace the man wore.

'Daddy and Daughter' was written on the bottom corner of the parchment, the handwriting a little clumsy compared to the artist's skill of the drawing.  _It's me and Killian_. That wasn't hard to tell even if the man in the drawing is younger than the man I know, but there was someone missing from the picture. I still don't know what my mother looks like after all these years.

" _Little princess, summer flowers in her hair_ ," comes a soft, clear voice from above me,"  _playing Ring Around the Rosie in the picture there; tiptoeing 'round the house in her mama's shoes, coloring her lips red in her bedroom_." I stare up at the ceiling again, curious about who was up there and if they were dangerous. Biting my lip, I take the drawing and fold it before carefully putting it in the pocket of my coat before heading back to the door and then creeping up the stairs. " _Prom Queen wants to be like the magazines, thinks she found her King, only seventeen._ "

The singing pauses when a step under my feet lets out a creaking noise, making me hold my breath and listen hard. After a moment of complete silence, the singing picks back up along with the sound of muffled footsteps. I let out the breath I was holding and start up again, careful to step on the very edge of the stairs from now on.

" _Too much that the world's wanting you to do when you're still just a child in your mama's shoes_." I know this song, I used to sit in my room and listen to it over and over, trying to picture my mother singing the words to me. " _Little girl, little girl, don't grow up too fast; 'fore you know it, you'll be wishing you could just go back. Don't you know there'll be plenty of time for that somewhere down the road?_ " I push the next door open and step out on the deck, hesitating in the doorway as I spot the singer.

She was tall compared to my five feet and two inches, lithe and light on her feet as she danced around in the sunlight, dark hair hanging in soft waves down her back, the skirt of her purple dress flaring out whenever she spun. She looked like a ballerina, all practiced grace as she goes up on the tips of her toes during one of the spins. She was a little on the chunky side, but it looked like it was muscle, and her skin was a healthy tan color. I draw in a short gasp as she jumps up on the railing, balancing easily like she'd done it a thousand times.

Then she pauses when she's facing my way, letting me take in the soft curve of her mouth, long nose, pale green eyes, and pointed chin. She's pretty, there's no doubt about that, and she was confident as she jumps down and makes her way towards me. Not completely sure of her yet, I only take a couple of steps forward, still biting my lips as she stops barely a foot away from me. She studies me like I'd just studied her, her eyes filling with tears as she brings a hand up to cup my face.

"You look just like him," she states, voice choked from the crying," you shouldn't be here so soon." I wanted to ask who she was, but a smell reached me before I opened my mouth, an almost fruity smell that was strong and pleasing, instantly familiar. She smelled like the scarf I used to keep tied around my wrist, the one Dad had given me when we first met in the Enchanted Forest.

"Mom?"

**The song is 'Little Girl Don't Grow up too Fast' by Carrie Underwood from her new album, it's a really good song and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes country.**


	99. Chapter 99

It was weird being in the Underworld, everything looking like it had been turned completely inside out as I walked down familiar streets. It was a mirror image of Storybrooke, though it was a darker version; decaying away and frozen. "Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down," I mumble under my breath, turning my head this way and that to take everything in at once.

The upper part of the library that housed the clock was on the street, the asphalt underneath it cracked and shattered, the hands of the clock standing still like the one in Storybrooke had been before the Savior came. People milled about in different stages of depression, dark circles under dull eyes, hunched shoulders, shuffling along like zombies. It was like something out of a disaster movie, the aftermath where people were trying to pull themselves back together with no hope in their eyes. That was the weirdest thing about the Underworld by far.

No hope.

The docks had boats moored there, but they looked like they'd been ransacked; even the  _Jolly Roger_  had more damage than usual and she's been through a fucking portal for crying out loud.  _Three times_. I shake my head, the heels of my shoes sounding loud against the sidewalk, a brisk wind blowing my hair across my face and making it hard to see where I'm going.

I'm not even sure where that is until I stop in front of a familiar building, cracks running up the bricks, the glass window smudged.  _Mr. Gold's Antiquities and Pawn Shop_  was on the sign hanging above me, though the plastic had taken a hard blow in the center. It's Papa's store, a familiar landmark that instantly made a calmness wash over me as I ran my fingers over the smooth metal of the door handle. This was a safe place, this wasn't completely tainted by the Underworld,  _this_  belonged to the one person I've always known loved me without doubt.

This was my Papa's store and I'd be damned if I'd leave it in a state of disrepair. With a goal in mind, I pull a familiar key from the pocket of my coat, the top of it decorated with a Sharpie butterfly in different shades of pink and blue that I've had for over twenty-eight years. I slide it into the lock and turn it without a problem, slipping it back into my pocket before opening the door and stepping inside. After flipping on the lights, the items inside were revealed as broken or dusty, or a combination of the pair, and I let out a long sigh. This would take a lot of work to fix up, but if anyone would control the Bizarro World version of Papa's store, then it would be me.

"Better than starting from scratch," I mutter, grabbing the broom that was on the floor close to my shoe and beginning to sweep, stirring up years of caked on dust and who knows what else. That's one perk of being dead, I suppose, no allergies.  _Aw man, I bet they don't have pizza down here_. Now officially sad about being a doornail, I use a little more force than necessary to sweep the floors.

"Aveena Jones." I tense at the unfamiliar voice behind me, turning with the broom held like I'd hold a bat, feet squared and eyes narrowed at the man standing a few feet inside the store. He's thin as a rail in every sense of the word and dressed in a professionally tailored suit of dark brown with a blue silken tie, short blonde hair, pale skin, and a pair of blue eyes that seemed to stare right through me. His stance was casual as he met my stare, unafraid of me bashing his fine cheekbones with my broom.

"Sorry, pal, we're not open for business yet." He huffs out a laugh, his smile reminding me of the one my papa wore around guests that he thought were beneath him. Come to think of it, he mainly wore it around Mary Margaret or Regina. The man paces the store languidly, running the tip of a finger along one of the glass display cases and leaving a clean line in the dirt. I turn to follow him with my eyes, tightening my grip on the wooden handle. "That means leave, you braindead buffoon."

"No need for name callings when I'm just here to introduce myself to the new arrival." He gives me that smile again and I send a matching one back.  _I can play this game too, sweetie_. "You're Aveena Jones, biological daughter of one Killian Jones—a little prickly, but I'm working on him—Milah Jones, and the stolen ward of Rumpelstiltskin. I guess you were a little princess back in the Enchanted Forest, huh?" He gives a mocking bow, keeping his head up to stare at me. It was weird, almost like the blue irises were flickering and dancing in the red light streaming in from outside, like he had his own personal fire burning in him.

"Nice trick," she murmurs sarcastically. "Do you perform at kids' parties too or am I just lucky?" He gives a toothy grin as he straightens up again, a magical fire engulfing his hair that was the same color as his eyes. "Oh…."

"Mm, a little slow, aren't you?"

"Well, in my defense, I died twenty minutes ago." Hades comes closer, using his magic to turn the broom to dust before roughly grabbing the front of my coat and yanking me closer so he could whisper in my ear.

"Dead or not, Aveena, there are certainly worse things that could happen to the people you love if you cross me. Now, I'm sure your family and friends will be down here soon—you all have Winchester-sized abandonment issues—and they'll want to rescue yourself and the Handless Wonder, but you're not going to let them. Just remember, I'm the one with the control here and you have no magic." He pushes me backwards and to the side, making me stumble and trip over a pathetic windmill as he strolls out the door again.

"This place blows."

* * *

I was hip deep in boxes and cluttered junk when the bell over the door jingles again, barely heard over the radio. Figuring it was just Hades again, I continue swaying slightly, tossing a beat-up, old lamp over my shoulder into the trash pile; it was steadily growing into a mountain while the _keeping_ pile was a tiny thing that might have reached her knees. “ _Your love lifts me out of time and you know my heart by heart_ ,” the person singing almost butchered the words, but it was familiar and made butterflies flutter in my stomach.

“Pan,” I breathe, turning to find my husband right behind me with an infuriating half-smile on his lips. Now, most wives would probably hug their husbands because he’d come to save her from the Underworld, but I just punch his shoulder as hard I can, scowling at him. “What the hell were you thinking? I swear to God, if you killed yourself to get here, I’ll throw you in the damn harbor!”

“Jesus, woman, I’m your savior!” I pinch his ear between my fingers and drag him with me to the front of the shop, intending to bring him to my mother so she could slap him silly, but there was another person in the shop as well. Even with his back to me, I knew who he was simply by the feel of his magic and the way his hand hovered over the spinning wheel.

“Hello, little bird,” Papa greets with a sad smile as he turns to face us, his brown-eyed gaze focused on my as my hand drops to my side. I wanted to scream at both of them for being here when they weren’t supposed to be, I wanted to hit them as I hard as I could, but I found myself unable to anything except stare at them, throat dry. Papa moves gracefully around the objects until he was able to pull me into a comforting hug, his warmth comforting and the scent of his cologne soothing my nerves.

“Papa,” I whisper, grasping the back of his jacket tightly.

“I’m here, sweetheart, Papa’s here.” My emotions were still going haywire, but my papa never failed to keep me from floating away, he kept me grounded and usually meant safety. He’d never intentionally hurt me; he wouldn’t let Hades destroy me. But how was he even here? I take half a step back to study him, not finding the weird dull light in his eyes that the dead have, the devious spark still burning like it was in Pan’s green eyes. Without warning, I slap the back of his head, beginning my tirade all over again.

“Y’all best start explaining why you’re here before I take a cane to both of your asses!”


End file.
